Therapist Wants In-Game Treatment for WoW Addicts
Andy Chalk posted on 28 Jul 2009 3:30 pm
Filed under: andy chalk, blizzard, therapy, videogame addiction, world of warcraft
image
A U.K. psychiatrist wants to begin offering treatment to kids addicted to World of Warcraft from within the game itself.
Youngsters addicted to World of Warcraft get so caught up in it that they sometimes play as much as 16 hours a day, neglecting school, social activities and other aspects of their life not directly associated with the game. Yet those most affected by the game don't exhibit conventional warning signs, said psychiatrist Dr. Richard Graham, and as a result traditional approaches to intervention and treatment won't work.
The solution? Treat them from within the game. Graham wants to begin providing in-game therapy to WoW-addicted kids by the end of the year. "It's already clear that psychiatrists will have to stay within the parameters of the game. They certainly wouldn't be wandering around the game in white coats and would have to use the same characters available to other players," he said.
"Of course one problem we're going to have to overcome is that while a psychiatrist may excel in what they do in the real world, they're probably not going to be very good at playing World of Warcraft," he added. "We may have to work at that if we are going to get through to those who play this game for hours at end."
The doctor called on Blizzard to "waive or discount" fees for psychiatrists and therapists who play the game so they can "more easily communicate with at-risk players in their preferred environment." He also suggested that therapists might recruit existing players with a greater knowledge of the game to serve as "peer mentors," helping to identify addicted users and facilitate their decision to seek help.
"Those affected don't exhibit the same outward warning signs as most teenage anti-social behavior issues do because they're in their bedrooms most of the time, seemingly out of trouble," he said. "Because of this we can't get through to them in the traditional educational environment or intrude on their actual bedrooms. We need to turn to the internet itself to tackle these problems."
Source: The Daily Telegrap
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Teenager Kills Parents over Refusal to Let Him Play Halo 3
Teenager Who Killed Parents Over Halo 3 Found Guilty
Andy Chalk posted on 12 Jan 2009 2:40 pm
Filed under: andy chalk, daniel petric, halo 3, videogame addiction
image
A teenager who claimed that his addiction to Halo 3 caused him to shoot and kill his mother and wound his father has been convicted of the crime.
Daniel Petric was 16 years old at the time of the murder, which reportedly resulted from a dispute over his parents' refusal to let him play Halo 3. The teen bought the game anyway and was caught trying to sneak it into the house; his parents took it away from him and put it into a lock-box in their closet, in which they also kept a 9 mm handgun. According to prosecutors, Petric later went to the box, retrieved both the game and the gun and then shot his mother and father in the head. He then tried to blame his father for the shooting by pressing the gun into his hand and telling his sister and brother-in-law, who arrived at the house shortly after the shooting, that the elder Petric had pulled the trigger; his father ultimately survived but his mother died of her injuries.
At the trial, Petric's defense attorneys admitted their client had shot his parents but claimed that a bad snowboarding accident a year prior had left him effectively disabled and stuck at home with nothing to do but watch television and play videogames, and that his resulting "videogame addiction" and young age diminished his responsibility for the crime.
But earlier today, Lorain County Judge James Burge rejected the claim, saying that videogame addiction isn't a valid defense and also noting that there was evidence of premeditation in the killing. Petric was convicted of aggravated murder, aggravated attempted murder and other charges, and now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. No sentencing date has been set.
Andy Chalk posted on 12 Jan 2009 2:40 pm
Filed under: andy chalk, daniel petric, halo 3, videogame addiction
image
A teenager who claimed that his addiction to Halo 3 caused him to shoot and kill his mother and wound his father has been convicted of the crime.
Daniel Petric was 16 years old at the time of the murder, which reportedly resulted from a dispute over his parents' refusal to let him play Halo 3. The teen bought the game anyway and was caught trying to sneak it into the house; his parents took it away from him and put it into a lock-box in their closet, in which they also kept a 9 mm handgun. According to prosecutors, Petric later went to the box, retrieved both the game and the gun and then shot his mother and father in the head. He then tried to blame his father for the shooting by pressing the gun into his hand and telling his sister and brother-in-law, who arrived at the house shortly after the shooting, that the elder Petric had pulled the trigger; his father ultimately survived but his mother died of her injuries.
At the trial, Petric's defense attorneys admitted their client had shot his parents but claimed that a bad snowboarding accident a year prior had left him effectively disabled and stuck at home with nothing to do but watch television and play videogames, and that his resulting "videogame addiction" and young age diminished his responsibility for the crime.
But earlier today, Lorain County Judge James Burge rejected the claim, saying that videogame addiction isn't a valid defense and also noting that there was evidence of premeditation in the killing. Petric was convicted of aggravated murder, aggravated attempted murder and other charges, and now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. No sentencing date has been set.
Signs and Symptoms of Internet Addiction
Signs & Symptoms of Computer & Internet/ Gaming Addiction
http://www.netaddictionrecovery.com/the-problem/signs-and-symptoms.html
Here is what to look for (3-4 yes responses suggest abuse; 5 or more suggest addiction)
• Increasing amounts of time spent on computer and internet activities
• Failed attempts to control behavior
• Heightened sense of euphoria while involved in computer and internet activities
• Craving more time on the computer and internet
• Neglecting friends and family
• Feeling restless when not engaged in the activity
• Being dishonest with others
• Computer use interfering with job/school performance
• Feeling guilty, ashamed, anxious, or depressed as a result of behavior
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Physical changes such as weight gain or loss, backaches, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome
• Withdrawing from other pleasurable activities
Developed by Dr. Hilarie Cash, PhD. of Internet and Computer Addiction Services.
http://www.netaddictionrecovery.com/the-problem/signs-and-symptoms.html
Here is what to look for (3-4 yes responses suggest abuse; 5 or more suggest addiction)
• Increasing amounts of time spent on computer and internet activities
• Failed attempts to control behavior
• Heightened sense of euphoria while involved in computer and internet activities
• Craving more time on the computer and internet
• Neglecting friends and family
• Feeling restless when not engaged in the activity
• Being dishonest with others
• Computer use interfering with job/school performance
• Feeling guilty, ashamed, anxious, or depressed as a result of behavior
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Physical changes such as weight gain or loss, backaches, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome
• Withdrawing from other pleasurable activities
Developed by Dr. Hilarie Cash, PhD. of Internet and Computer Addiction Services.
Monday, August 17, 2009
DOES YOUR TEEN LIVE A /ON "SECOND LIFE"
Huffington Post
Molly Shaw
Does your Teen Live a Second Life Through the Monitor?
With competition fiercer than ever before and the media constantly redefining social norms--failure seems to be a steppingstone for adulthood. It's no wonder teens are turning to escape mechanisms to find comfort and bliss. Just like the lure of Pleasure Island for Pinocchio or the Looking Glass for Alice--today's teens are being lured into the fantastical worlds of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and Second Life. However, as the past has taught us, fantasy can have detrimental effects on reality.
We might squawk around the buzz of web addiction in the U.S., but it has become such a prevalent problem in countries like South Korea and China that their governments are taking serious measures to stop its rampancy. In Martin Fackler's recent New York Times article "In Korea, a Boot Camp Cure for Web Obsession" he writes:
It has become a national issue...as users started dropping dead from exhaustion after playing online games for days on end. A growing number of students have skipped school to stay online, shockingly self-destructive behavior in this intensely competitive society...Up to 30 percent of South Koreans under 18, or about 2.4 million people, are at risk of Internet addiction...
As one of the first countries to have nationalized cheap broadband access, 90% of South Korea's households are now avid subscribers. As a result, PC Baangs (Internet cafes), have become some of the most lucrative businesses in the country. Teens swarm to these dimly-lit cafes before, during and after school to escape reality and play games like StarCraft, EverQuest, and Warhammer. In addition, countless online auction sites have popped up, targeting teen gamers addicted to buying virtual commodities. Because of their growing popularity, several cable channels are broadcasting online gaming competitions. Just as reality TV stars have reached A-list status in the U.S., top StarCraft gamers make six-figure salaries and have celebrity status.
To fight the war on web addiction, a growing number of hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and Outward Bound-like boot camps are offering treatments. Many of these therapies stress physical activity as a means to strengthen the addicts' bodies, weakened by sleep deprivation and sedentary lifestyles, and help them reconnect emotionally to the physical world.
So what is so addictive about these virtual realities? Playing MMORPGs and Second Life can have a therapeutic effect on players by filling emotional or psychological voids they experience in real life. These virtual worlds allow teens and adults to live fantasy lives through their alter egos, A.K.A. avatars. Players find approval, recognition and respect in their alternate realities, and form virtual relationships that are sometimes even more fulfilling than those in real life.
Although web addiction is not a national threat in the U.S. yet, it's become a pervasive issue in recent years. In the recent Wall Street Journal article "Is This Man Cheating on His Wife," Alexandra Alter studies a marriage, plagued by one spouse's Second Life obsession and virtual marriage. The article states:
Nearly 40% of men and 53% of women who play online games said their virtual friends were equal to or better than their real-life friends...More than a quarter of gamers said the emotional highlight of the past week occurred in a computer world...
For those of you like me who are Second Life virgins, it seems positively ridiculous that adults would buy into this. However, upon further comprehension, it's not so out-of-the-question. In Second Life, avatars create the world of content that they live in, and can realize their wildest dreams, despite the cards they were dealt in real life. An estimated 20 million "residents" (avatars) have virtual jobs, own property, date, marry and even sleep with each other. They attend lectures, concerts, read newspapers, and spend loads of Lindens (Second Life's currency) on imaginary accessories.
But in the virtual Wild West, anything goes: including rioting, gang play, child pornography and until recently, gambling. Luckily, the Linden Lab saw the danger in allowing kids to participate in adult Second Life and launched one just for teens. But just because it's a PG13 version, doesn't mean the premise is any different. The lines between fantasy and reality are still blurry at best.
As parents, we can't control the government, the tech corporations or the media, but we can take steps to help teens stay on the right side of the looking glass, or more aptly these days, the monitor:
We can monitor their online habits; know the warning signs, and how to confront them.
Teach them to value real intimacy, (which has sadly become the casualty of technology).
Initiate and encourage real-world activities and hobbies.
And most importantly--try to relieve their pressure instead of pile it on.
Molly Shaw
Does your Teen Live a Second Life Through the Monitor?
With competition fiercer than ever before and the media constantly redefining social norms--failure seems to be a steppingstone for adulthood. It's no wonder teens are turning to escape mechanisms to find comfort and bliss. Just like the lure of Pleasure Island for Pinocchio or the Looking Glass for Alice--today's teens are being lured into the fantastical worlds of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and Second Life. However, as the past has taught us, fantasy can have detrimental effects on reality.
We might squawk around the buzz of web addiction in the U.S., but it has become such a prevalent problem in countries like South Korea and China that their governments are taking serious measures to stop its rampancy. In Martin Fackler's recent New York Times article "In Korea, a Boot Camp Cure for Web Obsession" he writes:
It has become a national issue...as users started dropping dead from exhaustion after playing online games for days on end. A growing number of students have skipped school to stay online, shockingly self-destructive behavior in this intensely competitive society...Up to 30 percent of South Koreans under 18, or about 2.4 million people, are at risk of Internet addiction...
As one of the first countries to have nationalized cheap broadband access, 90% of South Korea's households are now avid subscribers. As a result, PC Baangs (Internet cafes), have become some of the most lucrative businesses in the country. Teens swarm to these dimly-lit cafes before, during and after school to escape reality and play games like StarCraft, EverQuest, and Warhammer. In addition, countless online auction sites have popped up, targeting teen gamers addicted to buying virtual commodities. Because of their growing popularity, several cable channels are broadcasting online gaming competitions. Just as reality TV stars have reached A-list status in the U.S., top StarCraft gamers make six-figure salaries and have celebrity status.
To fight the war on web addiction, a growing number of hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and Outward Bound-like boot camps are offering treatments. Many of these therapies stress physical activity as a means to strengthen the addicts' bodies, weakened by sleep deprivation and sedentary lifestyles, and help them reconnect emotionally to the physical world.
So what is so addictive about these virtual realities? Playing MMORPGs and Second Life can have a therapeutic effect on players by filling emotional or psychological voids they experience in real life. These virtual worlds allow teens and adults to live fantasy lives through their alter egos, A.K.A. avatars. Players find approval, recognition and respect in their alternate realities, and form virtual relationships that are sometimes even more fulfilling than those in real life.
Although web addiction is not a national threat in the U.S. yet, it's become a pervasive issue in recent years. In the recent Wall Street Journal article "Is This Man Cheating on His Wife," Alexandra Alter studies a marriage, plagued by one spouse's Second Life obsession and virtual marriage. The article states:
Nearly 40% of men and 53% of women who play online games said their virtual friends were equal to or better than their real-life friends...More than a quarter of gamers said the emotional highlight of the past week occurred in a computer world...
For those of you like me who are Second Life virgins, it seems positively ridiculous that adults would buy into this. However, upon further comprehension, it's not so out-of-the-question. In Second Life, avatars create the world of content that they live in, and can realize their wildest dreams, despite the cards they were dealt in real life. An estimated 20 million "residents" (avatars) have virtual jobs, own property, date, marry and even sleep with each other. They attend lectures, concerts, read newspapers, and spend loads of Lindens (Second Life's currency) on imaginary accessories.
But in the virtual Wild West, anything goes: including rioting, gang play, child pornography and until recently, gambling. Luckily, the Linden Lab saw the danger in allowing kids to participate in adult Second Life and launched one just for teens. But just because it's a PG13 version, doesn't mean the premise is any different. The lines between fantasy and reality are still blurry at best.
As parents, we can't control the government, the tech corporations or the media, but we can take steps to help teens stay on the right side of the looking glass, or more aptly these days, the monitor:
We can monitor their online habits; know the warning signs, and how to confront them.
Teach them to value real intimacy, (which has sadly become the casualty of technology).
Initiate and encourage real-world activities and hobbies.
And most importantly--try to relieve their pressure instead of pile it on.
Second Life Addiction: It's not just kids!
The following post is from a concerned daughter. It was posted on Yahoo.answers.com.
====================================================================================
Secondlife Addiction?
My mom has been on this Secondlife game for a few years. She now lives and breathes it. I am moved out of the house already, but I am deeply concerned for my 10 year old sister, and 17 year old brother who still live with my parents.
My dad, has pretty much become a single parent, due to this addiction.
Let me give you a little insight to my mother's day.
She will wake up around 11am-12pm (who cares about the kids going to school!!!)
She immediately gets onto the computer, and turns on SecondLife. She stays on there until about 5pm-6pm, when she heads over to her reclining chair, where she sleeps for 3-4 hours. Then as soon as she wakes up, she goes into the kitchen to get dinner that most of the time her children had to cook. Then she sits down at the computer and eats, while talking to her friends there---and ignoring everything going on in the house.
Then she stays in SecondLife until 5AM-6AM
I have witnessed my little sister asking her to go ride her bike at night time....and she said "Yea, Yea!! Go ahead, whatever!!! Leave me alone."
It is really having a toll on the entire family. There is NO time for her husband, her children, or her grandchildren. There is NO time for her own parents who JUST had a horrible accident and are in a nursing home now.
The only time she has, is for the people in second life.
I did not know the severity of this problem until recently, when I was forced to spend a few days at my parents house due to some flooding in my own home.
I was at her house for an entire 24 hours, without her even saying one word to me. She just never noticed that I was there.
It's really upsetting, and I just want help for my poor Dad, and siblings who are pretty much living without a mom.
Any advice?
==================================================================================
====================================================================================
Secondlife Addiction?
My mom has been on this Secondlife game for a few years. She now lives and breathes it. I am moved out of the house already, but I am deeply concerned for my 10 year old sister, and 17 year old brother who still live with my parents.
My dad, has pretty much become a single parent, due to this addiction.
Let me give you a little insight to my mother's day.
She will wake up around 11am-12pm (who cares about the kids going to school!!!)
She immediately gets onto the computer, and turns on SecondLife. She stays on there until about 5pm-6pm, when she heads over to her reclining chair, where she sleeps for 3-4 hours. Then as soon as she wakes up, she goes into the kitchen to get dinner that most of the time her children had to cook. Then she sits down at the computer and eats, while talking to her friends there---and ignoring everything going on in the house.
Then she stays in SecondLife until 5AM-6AM
I have witnessed my little sister asking her to go ride her bike at night time....and she said "Yea, Yea!! Go ahead, whatever!!! Leave me alone."
It is really having a toll on the entire family. There is NO time for her husband, her children, or her grandchildren. There is NO time for her own parents who JUST had a horrible accident and are in a nursing home now.
The only time she has, is for the people in second life.
I did not know the severity of this problem until recently, when I was forced to spend a few days at my parents house due to some flooding in my own home.
I was at her house for an entire 24 hours, without her even saying one word to me. She just never noticed that I was there.
It's really upsetting, and I just want help for my poor Dad, and siblings who are pretty much living without a mom.
Any advice?
==================================================================================
Second Life World Wide Problem
From: www.shapingthoughts.com
Discussion about Second Life and World of Warcraft addiction on Dutch Television
Like I already wrote in my recent post on some of the recent Second Life statistics, in the Netherlands we are taking Second Life quite seriously, both in terms of a substantial number of participant, but also in discussing the implications of all of this.
Tonight Dutch National Television featured a talk show (show is called Rondom 10) discussing the potential negative consequences of gaming and Internet, with Second Life and World of Warcraft as main “targets”.
As it should in any good discussion show, there were widely diverging opinions about the risks of addiction that Second Life and World of Warcraft pose to users, e.g. from:
Keith Bakker of Smith and Jones (a private Addiction Treatment Clinic; started of as very negative about Second Life and World of Warcraft, but later had to retreat a bit)
a current World of Warcraft addict (and not denying it)
a disabled person (could do things in Second Life that are just not possible in real life)
It was sad that there was too little attention for all the good things that happen in Second Life and that the addiction potential was overweighted.
All in all it was a nice discussion, which started of as being very negative and hostile (Keith Bakker!) towards Second Life and WOW, but actually ended more or less with the position I also have:
Applications like Second Life and World of Warcraft, just like alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, can have very big implications and risks for a group of people that are sensative to the risk of addiction. Most people are smart enough to do not let it happen to them and have it affect their real life, in the sense that others suffer (kids, relationships). Howevere for some of these latter people Second Life could be replacing previous “time spenders” (other hobbies), but this as such is not a bad thing.
Reader Feedback:
I only used Second Life for three days but I must have an addictive personality as I could not pull myself away and while at work I was planning my next adventure. The attraction of recreating your life in a virtual world and forgetting about your real life is obvious. I wonder if it can be educational as well and be part of one’s spiritual/emotional development?
— cfrank Feb 18, 12:38 am #
Hi Cfrank,
Thanks for stopping by here and your interesting remark.
Yes, I can understand that you feel very enthusiastic right now, especially if you are rather new to this exciting new place.
As for the spiritual of emotional development, I would not really now, other than recognising SL as a new place to find people that think-alike.
The thing is, that SL opens up a world of possibilities for anyone visiting. You can do almost anything and that is also the problem: how do you fit that into your normal life?
It is all about being able to control, how difficult it may be.
I must say that the Internet (and SL is only a tiny part) has given us an enormous explosion of “possibilities”: intellectually, entertainment, expression, creativity, making contacts and last but not least information and news.
For me personally, this pool of possibilities have made the Internet to an addiction, in the sense that I cannot think of living without it.
— Marcel Feb 18, 04:28 pm #
MMO addictions have been around a lot longer than WoW. Go back to UO and EQ.
— World of Warcraft Cheats Feb 18, 10:13 pm #
In my view Second Life is nothing more but a medium like Internet(www). The added feature is the 3D aspect. Granted, this feature has opened up a huge realm of possibilities.
It is not a game, just like a webpage by its definition isn’t a game. There are webgames, but there are also webshops and company websites.
This addiction they spoke of is an addiction to social interaction. Even with the phone chatbox from the old days we could see people chatting themselves into a debt with the phonecompany.
People aren’t addicted to Second Life. They are addicted to the activity inside Second Life.
— vernes Feb 27, 12:28 pm #
This website gives a very good info about warcraft III. This is very useful to the people who wants to play online games. World of Warcraft, which will inform you of new tips, tricks, free guides and exploits.
— todd dickerson Mar 14, 05:37 pm #
I am not opposed to role playing games by themselves; however, I just saw one college student get kicked out of school because he could not pull himslef away from playing the game in Second Life. I am currently trying to seek help for my own college student who stays up until 2:30 playing the game and has missed several classes and work in order to interact within Second Life. Any activity that affects a person’s health and well being is a problem and needs to be addressed.
— Judi Mar 20, 01:35 am #
My wife has become a Second Life addict within a few weeks of finding out about it. First she showed me what it was and what her avatar was doing. She ignored people trying to hook up. Then suddenly she became very secretive and spending more time with it. She even rearranged a small room in our house so she can bring her laptop in there and close the door. It’s almost 2 am now and she’s still at it. I can’t sleep. She’s been doing this for a week straight while working full time. All her time at home is spent on SL while ignoring me and the kids. She claims it’s just fantasy and innocent fun. It’s tearing me apart.
— Sad Guy Apr 7, 07:59 am #
My husband discovered SL in January and it has ruined our marriage. He spends at least 5-7 hours playing it daily. His income has dropped significantly and we cannot pay our bills. He ignores our 5 year old daughter and me, it is very sad. He is a lesbian in SL and it is so sad that our daughter sees him running almost naked in SL, it sends the wrong message.
When I first found out that he was having sex with the other players I was very upset, but he told it was not real and then proceeded to fall in love with a 20 year old who also plays. He is 51. Obviously people who have the addictions are not happy in real life, but this game does not give them or their families an opportunity to work on their real life.
— Pat Jun 5, 02:29 pm #
my wife has been playing second life for 6 months now.She became very secretive and started shutting the door. A month ago I found out she met a man and now she is speaking with him nightly,and having phone sex on skype.She has neglected everyone in her family and shut them out.But according to her it is great, only a fantasy and will probably end soon. Meanwhile she has asked for enough money to help her move out “for a few months”.
— rhw Jun 19, 02:45 am #
I don’t think internet addiction fits the classic criteria for an addiction, but it fits many other things relating to addiction. A person I know has gotten so into the secondlife.com thing that hes basically abandoned real life at this point. He goes to work, comes home and is on the computer the rest of the time. He skips out on offers to go out and do things because he’d rather stay home and play in his virtual world. Hes lost friends because he just stopped calling and hanging out with them, and has even missed out on dates because he’d rather stay in and go on “virtual dates”. Hes even had friends in need of help and said he couldn’t because he had plans to go do something in his virtual world.
— jst303 Jul 9, 07:36 pm #
My husband started playing SL around April of this year. He started spending more and more time at work – sometimes all night. I finally found out that he was not working he was playing SL and had many relationships there. Once he was found out and couldnt stay at work and play any longer he abandoned our family. He is now staying with a friend who reports that he sits there now and plays – he also lies to his friend about what he is doing – claims he is working. Obviously there must have been other problems (just like any addiction) but i can tell you 100% that SL, the internet and games are addictive. When a man leaves his family that he loves and a wife who has been loyal and faithful for 11 years so that he can play a game – its an addiction. Four months ago he said he couldnt imagine life without me and now he wont even speak with me. he wont see his children and is probably about to loose his job. Anyone who says that its not an addiction has not lived through what I have gone through.
— wendy Jul 13, 09:17 pm #
I agree that SL can be addicting, but everyone that spends “hours” on SL is NOT having multiple affairs — I’m trying to build a business so that I don’t have to work so much overtime in RL to make ends meet. I spend as much time in SL as I do at my RL job — but I spent as much time before watching mindless TV or surfing the web aimlessly. Am I an addict now that I am doing something productive with my time?
Even with others, it’s really more complicated that just labeling something as an “addiction.” SL is not a substance — it is an experience that brings joy to many people’s lives. When a person chooses a virtual existence over a real one, don’t blame the people at Linden Labs . . . your partner is making a conscious choice about something else. He or she is obviously not happy in the RL relationships, or these choices wouldn’t be made. If you value these loved ones, choose to engage your spouse in couple’s therapy rather than just blaming a glorified chat room.
— QT Jul 24, 12:05 am #
SL has the power to draw people away from RL and into a fantastic world where you can fly, be stunningly beautiful, outgoing, irresistable, change your look at the click of a mouse – be anything you want to be, no limitations. It takes us away from the mundane and shows us endless possibilities. It appeals to the dreamer and fantasist in us all – and therein lies possible ruin. It’s terribly addictive, and I fear and mourn for the rl victims – the partners, children and friends of people whom play SL, and cannot control it. Yes, I am a player, and before I began to play in earnest, I did a lot of research in the forums and articles, I felt prepared as I could ever be, yet I still spend more time and money than is probably healthy for me in this virtual world. So now I limit myself – to three sessions per week. I ensure that I spend quality time with my adored rl partner, and on my profile I have stated emphatically that I’m not interested in any virtual romance. Why, when I have all I need here in my rl. As long as you are grounded and sensible in using SL as a tool, and you don’t forget your loved ones – then it’s a blast and will add to your life immeasurably.
— Miss Stone Aug 3, 11:50 pm #
Yes secondlife is addictive, I was an alcholic before i Started playing secondlife. Now I wont even go to the shop to buy booze. So i guess at least secondlife has saved my liver. I drink inworld now , It dont cause a hangover. Perfect .!!
— Jimmylee Aug 15, 09:09 am #
I tried out WoW a few days and it was the first game that sucked me in since 10 years or so.
What I find interesting is that WOW so much resembles our so-called “real” life.
In WoW as well as in our real life, we work really hard to get money, a good reputation, and new items. If it’s a brand new mercedes or if it’s a big powerful sword, and to show off.. where’s the difference?
Many people argue that all your effort for WOW in the end is for nothing.. So again, where’s the difference to “real” life?
I would not devalue WOW instantly just out of a reflex to think that virtual worlds are a bad thing. You can have great experiences there which are not much worse than “real” life experiences.
But still after two weeks I decided to quit. Similar to drugs, the game limits your senses and possibilities you have in real life and at the same time makes you feel like you could do more. For now when I’m young and fit, I want to enjoy real life, but if there’s a time my physical and social possibilities are gone, I will be really thankful to have a game like WOW.
— tobi Aug 30, 01:32 pm #
i am 32 and i have playd wow for 93 hours strate and i have a problem you know im just kidding just get up dealet your carecter and walk away i used to play and i dealetd him it was hard but if you play so much you are going to have no life whats so ever so dealet him and then go outside spend more time with your famly and freind and if you have no life make some freinds so you dont get over wait go to a jim just take a break you dont have to dealet him i dare all of you to take a 3 week break and get a life ok otherwis you are a totle melven and no person in the world will like you
— mat Sep 8, 06:33 am #
Hi. I’m a student from South Africa and I’m doing a article on Second Life and virtual personae. I’ve been on Second Life a couple of times, but for some reason my computer really struggles and it takes forever just to walk to the end of a street. I created a questionnaire and I would really appreciate it if someone with some Second Life experience could find the time to complete it. Please, if you’re willing to help me, send me your e-mail address to tslabber@gmail.com and I will forward the questionnare.
Thank you, Tabile
Discussion about Second Life and World of Warcraft addiction on Dutch Television
Like I already wrote in my recent post on some of the recent Second Life statistics, in the Netherlands we are taking Second Life quite seriously, both in terms of a substantial number of participant, but also in discussing the implications of all of this.
Tonight Dutch National Television featured a talk show (show is called Rondom 10) discussing the potential negative consequences of gaming and Internet, with Second Life and World of Warcraft as main “targets”.
As it should in any good discussion show, there were widely diverging opinions about the risks of addiction that Second Life and World of Warcraft pose to users, e.g. from:
Keith Bakker of Smith and Jones (a private Addiction Treatment Clinic; started of as very negative about Second Life and World of Warcraft, but later had to retreat a bit)
a current World of Warcraft addict (and not denying it)
a disabled person (could do things in Second Life that are just not possible in real life)
It was sad that there was too little attention for all the good things that happen in Second Life and that the addiction potential was overweighted.
All in all it was a nice discussion, which started of as being very negative and hostile (Keith Bakker!) towards Second Life and WOW, but actually ended more or less with the position I also have:
Applications like Second Life and World of Warcraft, just like alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, can have very big implications and risks for a group of people that are sensative to the risk of addiction. Most people are smart enough to do not let it happen to them and have it affect their real life, in the sense that others suffer (kids, relationships). Howevere for some of these latter people Second Life could be replacing previous “time spenders” (other hobbies), but this as such is not a bad thing.
Reader Feedback:
I only used Second Life for three days but I must have an addictive personality as I could not pull myself away and while at work I was planning my next adventure. The attraction of recreating your life in a virtual world and forgetting about your real life is obvious. I wonder if it can be educational as well and be part of one’s spiritual/emotional development?
— cfrank Feb 18, 12:38 am #
Hi Cfrank,
Thanks for stopping by here and your interesting remark.
Yes, I can understand that you feel very enthusiastic right now, especially if you are rather new to this exciting new place.
As for the spiritual of emotional development, I would not really now, other than recognising SL as a new place to find people that think-alike.
The thing is, that SL opens up a world of possibilities for anyone visiting. You can do almost anything and that is also the problem: how do you fit that into your normal life?
It is all about being able to control, how difficult it may be.
I must say that the Internet (and SL is only a tiny part) has given us an enormous explosion of “possibilities”: intellectually, entertainment, expression, creativity, making contacts and last but not least information and news.
For me personally, this pool of possibilities have made the Internet to an addiction, in the sense that I cannot think of living without it.
— Marcel Feb 18, 04:28 pm #
MMO addictions have been around a lot longer than WoW. Go back to UO and EQ.
— World of Warcraft Cheats Feb 18, 10:13 pm #
In my view Second Life is nothing more but a medium like Internet(www). The added feature is the 3D aspect. Granted, this feature has opened up a huge realm of possibilities.
It is not a game, just like a webpage by its definition isn’t a game. There are webgames, but there are also webshops and company websites.
This addiction they spoke of is an addiction to social interaction. Even with the phone chatbox from the old days we could see people chatting themselves into a debt with the phonecompany.
People aren’t addicted to Second Life. They are addicted to the activity inside Second Life.
— vernes Feb 27, 12:28 pm #
This website gives a very good info about warcraft III. This is very useful to the people who wants to play online games. World of Warcraft, which will inform you of new tips, tricks, free guides and exploits.
— todd dickerson Mar 14, 05:37 pm #
I am not opposed to role playing games by themselves; however, I just saw one college student get kicked out of school because he could not pull himslef away from playing the game in Second Life. I am currently trying to seek help for my own college student who stays up until 2:30 playing the game and has missed several classes and work in order to interact within Second Life. Any activity that affects a person’s health and well being is a problem and needs to be addressed.
— Judi Mar 20, 01:35 am #
My wife has become a Second Life addict within a few weeks of finding out about it. First she showed me what it was and what her avatar was doing. She ignored people trying to hook up. Then suddenly she became very secretive and spending more time with it. She even rearranged a small room in our house so she can bring her laptop in there and close the door. It’s almost 2 am now and she’s still at it. I can’t sleep. She’s been doing this for a week straight while working full time. All her time at home is spent on SL while ignoring me and the kids. She claims it’s just fantasy and innocent fun. It’s tearing me apart.
— Sad Guy Apr 7, 07:59 am #
My husband discovered SL in January and it has ruined our marriage. He spends at least 5-7 hours playing it daily. His income has dropped significantly and we cannot pay our bills. He ignores our 5 year old daughter and me, it is very sad. He is a lesbian in SL and it is so sad that our daughter sees him running almost naked in SL, it sends the wrong message.
When I first found out that he was having sex with the other players I was very upset, but he told it was not real and then proceeded to fall in love with a 20 year old who also plays. He is 51. Obviously people who have the addictions are not happy in real life, but this game does not give them or their families an opportunity to work on their real life.
— Pat Jun 5, 02:29 pm #
my wife has been playing second life for 6 months now.She became very secretive and started shutting the door. A month ago I found out she met a man and now she is speaking with him nightly,and having phone sex on skype.She has neglected everyone in her family and shut them out.But according to her it is great, only a fantasy and will probably end soon. Meanwhile she has asked for enough money to help her move out “for a few months”.
— rhw Jun 19, 02:45 am #
I don’t think internet addiction fits the classic criteria for an addiction, but it fits many other things relating to addiction. A person I know has gotten so into the secondlife.com thing that hes basically abandoned real life at this point. He goes to work, comes home and is on the computer the rest of the time. He skips out on offers to go out and do things because he’d rather stay home and play in his virtual world. Hes lost friends because he just stopped calling and hanging out with them, and has even missed out on dates because he’d rather stay in and go on “virtual dates”. Hes even had friends in need of help and said he couldn’t because he had plans to go do something in his virtual world.
— jst303 Jul 9, 07:36 pm #
My husband started playing SL around April of this year. He started spending more and more time at work – sometimes all night. I finally found out that he was not working he was playing SL and had many relationships there. Once he was found out and couldnt stay at work and play any longer he abandoned our family. He is now staying with a friend who reports that he sits there now and plays – he also lies to his friend about what he is doing – claims he is working. Obviously there must have been other problems (just like any addiction) but i can tell you 100% that SL, the internet and games are addictive. When a man leaves his family that he loves and a wife who has been loyal and faithful for 11 years so that he can play a game – its an addiction. Four months ago he said he couldnt imagine life without me and now he wont even speak with me. he wont see his children and is probably about to loose his job. Anyone who says that its not an addiction has not lived through what I have gone through.
— wendy Jul 13, 09:17 pm #
I agree that SL can be addicting, but everyone that spends “hours” on SL is NOT having multiple affairs — I’m trying to build a business so that I don’t have to work so much overtime in RL to make ends meet. I spend as much time in SL as I do at my RL job — but I spent as much time before watching mindless TV or surfing the web aimlessly. Am I an addict now that I am doing something productive with my time?
Even with others, it’s really more complicated that just labeling something as an “addiction.” SL is not a substance — it is an experience that brings joy to many people’s lives. When a person chooses a virtual existence over a real one, don’t blame the people at Linden Labs . . . your partner is making a conscious choice about something else. He or she is obviously not happy in the RL relationships, or these choices wouldn’t be made. If you value these loved ones, choose to engage your spouse in couple’s therapy rather than just blaming a glorified chat room.
— QT Jul 24, 12:05 am #
SL has the power to draw people away from RL and into a fantastic world where you can fly, be stunningly beautiful, outgoing, irresistable, change your look at the click of a mouse – be anything you want to be, no limitations. It takes us away from the mundane and shows us endless possibilities. It appeals to the dreamer and fantasist in us all – and therein lies possible ruin. It’s terribly addictive, and I fear and mourn for the rl victims – the partners, children and friends of people whom play SL, and cannot control it. Yes, I am a player, and before I began to play in earnest, I did a lot of research in the forums and articles, I felt prepared as I could ever be, yet I still spend more time and money than is probably healthy for me in this virtual world. So now I limit myself – to three sessions per week. I ensure that I spend quality time with my adored rl partner, and on my profile I have stated emphatically that I’m not interested in any virtual romance. Why, when I have all I need here in my rl. As long as you are grounded and sensible in using SL as a tool, and you don’t forget your loved ones – then it’s a blast and will add to your life immeasurably.
— Miss Stone Aug 3, 11:50 pm #
Yes secondlife is addictive, I was an alcholic before i Started playing secondlife. Now I wont even go to the shop to buy booze. So i guess at least secondlife has saved my liver. I drink inworld now , It dont cause a hangover. Perfect .!!
— Jimmylee Aug 15, 09:09 am #
I tried out WoW a few days and it was the first game that sucked me in since 10 years or so.
What I find interesting is that WOW so much resembles our so-called “real” life.
In WoW as well as in our real life, we work really hard to get money, a good reputation, and new items. If it’s a brand new mercedes or if it’s a big powerful sword, and to show off.. where’s the difference?
Many people argue that all your effort for WOW in the end is for nothing.. So again, where’s the difference to “real” life?
I would not devalue WOW instantly just out of a reflex to think that virtual worlds are a bad thing. You can have great experiences there which are not much worse than “real” life experiences.
But still after two weeks I decided to quit. Similar to drugs, the game limits your senses and possibilities you have in real life and at the same time makes you feel like you could do more. For now when I’m young and fit, I want to enjoy real life, but if there’s a time my physical and social possibilities are gone, I will be really thankful to have a game like WOW.
— tobi Aug 30, 01:32 pm #
i am 32 and i have playd wow for 93 hours strate and i have a problem you know im just kidding just get up dealet your carecter and walk away i used to play and i dealetd him it was hard but if you play so much you are going to have no life whats so ever so dealet him and then go outside spend more time with your famly and freind and if you have no life make some freinds so you dont get over wait go to a jim just take a break you dont have to dealet him i dare all of you to take a 3 week break and get a life ok otherwis you are a totle melven and no person in the world will like you
— mat Sep 8, 06:33 am #
Hi. I’m a student from South Africa and I’m doing a article on Second Life and virtual personae. I’ve been on Second Life a couple of times, but for some reason my computer really struggles and it takes forever just to walk to the end of a street. I created a questionnaire and I would really appreciate it if someone with some Second Life experience could find the time to complete it. Please, if you’re willing to help me, send me your e-mail address to tslabber@gmail.com and I will forward the questionnare.
Thank you, Tabile
Confessions of Second Life Addicts
This is a link to another blog where specefic addiction to Second Life is discussed.
http://www.emotionalwellbeingblog.com/2007/08/is-second-life-ultimate-cyber-addiction.html
http://www.emotionalwellbeingblog.com/2007/08/is-second-life-ultimate-cyber-addiction.html
Friday, August 14, 2009
U.S. Representative Mark Kirk Urges FTC to Control "Second Life"
For Immediate Release
May 5, 2008
Kirk, Parents and Police: Delete Online Predators
Four-million-strong Second Life site offers “rape rooms” – easy access to children
Kirk: “FTC should investigate the growing vulnerability of children to predators on Second Life”
Mount Prospect, Ill. –
U.S. Representative Mark Kirk today joined with local parents, teachers and law enforcement to call for federal action to protect kids from child predators and registered sex offenders on “Second Life” and other social networking Web sites. Congressman Kirk was joined by Mount Prospect Mayor Irvana Wilks, Mount Prospect Police Chief John Dahlberg, Mount Prospect Officer Dirk Ollech and 10th district parents and teachers Janet Joy and Bonnie Graham of Arlington Heights.
“During the past five years, social networking Web sites like MySpace, Facebook and Second Life exploded in popularity,” Congressman Kirk said. “As more kids flock to these sites, we’ve seen a corresponding increase of online sexual predators targeting children. According to a U.S. Department of Justice survey, one-in-five kids have been sexually solicited online. As new technologies develop, more disturbing revelations unfold. Sites like Second Life offer no protections to keep kids from virtual ‘rape rooms,’ brothels and drug stores. If sites like Second Life won’t protect kids from obviously inappropriate content, the Congress will.”
To raise parent awareness of these growing threats, Congressman Kirk sent a letter today to the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission requesting a consumer alert warning about the dangers of Second Life. On the site, kids create an online persona called an “avatar,” and interact with the program’s more than four million users. While Second Life claims to prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing the site, there are no age verification features built into the registration process. Second Life’s own lawyers admit that its “teen area” may have adults prowling and the adult area may have children present. Outside of the pre-approved “teen area” are countless locations where users engage in virtual prostitution, drug use and other wholly inappropriate activities. Drug dealers and predators routinely attempt to contact users in the real world once a meeting happens in Second Life.
According to I-Safe America, nearly one-third of kids have chatted with strangers on the Internet, and 12 percent have met online strangers in person. Social networking Web sites are often the entryway for predators to build trust with a kid online, preparing for an eventual “in-person” meeting.
With more than 150 million registered users on MySpace.com alone, children’s detailed personal information – last name, address, phone number, school, schedule and photograph – can be easily accessed by sexual predators. Last year, the Illinois Attorney General discovered nearly 850 registered sex offenders in Illinois who use Myspace.com.
Congressman Kirk also detailed his legislation to help parents play a larger role in the safety of their kids. He introduced the bipartisan Deleting Online Predators Act, which passed in the House in 2006 by an overwhelming vote of 410-15, but did not see Senate action. The bill currently has 91 bipartisan cosponsors.
The Deleting Online Predators Act requires schools to prevent children from accessing social networking Web sites and chat rooms like MySpace unless they are doing so for a legitimate educational purpose and are under adult supervision. It also requires public libraries to prevent children from accessing these Web sites unless they have the permission of a parent.
The Predator’s Act also requires that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 90 days:
• Create a Web site with a distinctive Uniform Resource Locator to educate parents, teachers, school officials and others regarding the dangers on the Internet to child users. This Web site would include information about commercial networking sites like MySpace and chat rooms.
• Issue consumer alerts to parents, teachers, school officials and others regarding the potential dangers of Internet child predators and their ability to contact children through commercial networking sites like MySpace and chat rooms.
The Predator’s Act requires that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC):
• Establish an advisory board to review and report commercial social networking sites like MySpace.com and chat rooms that allow sexual predators easy access to personal information of, and contact with, children.
At the press conference, officers with the Mount Prospect Police Department detailed their work to fight child predators in the suburbs. Mount Prospect was home to one of the first online child exploitation crimes. More than 10 years ago, a sixth-grade boy was lured by an adult man posing as a child on the Internet. The Florida-based predator convinced the child to board a bus for a rendezvous. Quick action by the police department and the FBI prevented the child from reaching the criminal.
Demonstrating the risks in MySpace, Mount Prospect police officers created a fictional profile of a 15-year-old Mount Prospect girl. A 29-year-old man sent the fake girl a message, calling her “adorable” and asked to get to know her better. An individual also encouraged her to prostitute herself by sending her a message about a companionship service in Elk Grove.
A copy of Congressman Kirk’s letter to the FTC and the Predators Act legislation are below. Screengrabs of inappropriate Second Life locations and MySpace predator messages are available upon request.
May 5, 2008
William E. Kovacic
Chairman
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Dear Chairman Kovacic:
I write to share my concern regarding the increasingly popular virtual reality webspace, Second Life, which contains explicit content that can be easily accessed by minors.
Second Life and its owner, Linden Lab of San Francisco, has no controls in place to prevent minors from creating an account, giving minors access to pornographic and explicit material for no charge. Second Life claims to prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing the site, but there are no age verification features built into the registration process. Although many of the program’s features require a credit card, there are many areas in which sexually explicit content is free and readily available.
Using the search tool, minors have the ability to teleport to locations where there are brothels, rape rooms, sex clubs and bondage stores. The images and language in these parts of Second Life are graphic and inappropriate for children.
Not only does Second Life contain explicit material but it also can pose as a “virtual hunting ground” for pedophiles to prey on young children using the anonymity of the Internet. Second Life has over four million users across the world. Reports of sexual assaults and kidnappings linked to the Internet are growing. According to the Justice Department, one in five kids have been sexually solicited online. I-Safe America estimates nearly one-third of kids have chatted with strangers on the Internet and 12 percent have met online strangers in person.
In 2006, Representative Frank Wolf and I wrote to your predecessor asking her to issue a consumer alert warning parents of the dangers social networking Web sites pose to children. Then-Chairman Majoras acted quickly to increase awareness of this threat among parents. I urge you, on behalf of the Commission, to take action to warn parents of the similar dangers and sexually explicit content found on Second Life. If Second Life is unwilling to protect minor children from explicit material on their Web site, it is imperative that we warn parents of the danger Second Life represents so they can effectively monitor their children’s Internet usage.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Mark Kirk
Member of Congress
H. R. 1120
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require recipients of universal service support for schools and libraries to protect minors from commercial social networking websites and chat rooms.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 16, 2007
Mr. KIRK (for himself, Mr. MATHESON, Mrs. BIGGERT, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mr. KUHL of New York, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. GERLACH, and Mr. ROSKAM) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require recipients of universal service support for schools and libraries to protect minors from commercial social networking websites and chat rooms.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Deleting Online Predators Act of 2007'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that--
(1) sexual predators approach minors on the Internet using chat rooms and social networking websites, and, according to the United States Attorney General, one in five children has been approached sexually on the Internet;
(2) sexual predators can use these chat rooms and websites to locate, learn about, befriend, and eventually prey on children by engaging them in sexually explicit conversations, asking for photographs, and attempting to lure children into a face to face meeting; and
(3) with the explosive growth of trendy chat rooms and social networking websites, it is becoming more and more difficult to monitor and protect minors from those with devious intentions, particularly when children are away from parental supervision.
SEC. 3. CERTIFICATIONS TO INCLUDE PROTECTIONS AGAINST COMMERCIAL SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES AND CHAT ROOMS.
(a) Certification by Schools- Section 254(h)(5)(B) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(5)(B)) is amended by striking clause (i) and inserting the following:
`(i) is enforcing a policy of Internet safety for minors that includes monitoring the online activities of minors and the operation of a technology protection measure with respect to any of its computers with Internet access that--
`(I) protects against access through such computers to visual depictions that are--
`(aa) obscene;
`(bb) child pornography; or
`(cc) harmful to minors; and
`(II) protects against access to a commercial social networking website or chat room unless used for an educational purpose with adult supervision; and'.
(b) Certification by Libraries- Section 254(h)(6)(B) of such Act (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(6)(B)) is amended by striking clause (i) and inserting the following:
`(i) is enforcing a policy of Internet safety that includes the operation of a technology protection measure with respect to any of its computers with Internet access that--
`(I) protects against access through such computers to visual depictions that are--
`(aa) obscene;
`(bb) child pornography; or
`(cc) harmful to minors; and
`(II) protects against access by minors without parental authorization to a commercial social networking website or chat room, and informs parents that sexual predators can use these websites and chat rooms to prey on children; and'.
(c) Definitions- Section 254(h)(7) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
`(J) COMMERCIAL SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES; CHAT ROOMS- Within 120 days after the date of enactment of the Deleting Online Predators Act of 2007, the Commission shall by rule define the terms `social networking website' and `chat room' for purposes of this subsection. In determining the definition of a social networking website, the Commission shall take into consideration the extent to which a website--
`(i) is offered by a commercial entity;
`(ii) permits registered users to create an on-line profile that includes detailed personal information;
`(iii) permits registered users to create an on-line journal and share such a journal with other users;
`(iv) elicits highly-personalized information from users; and
`(v) enables communication among users.'.
(d) Disabling During Adult or Educational Use- Section 254(h)(5)(D) of such Act is amended--
(1) by inserting `OR EDUCATIONAL' after `DURING ADULT' in the heading; and
(2) by inserting before the period at the end the following: `or during use by an adult or by minors with adult supervision to enable access for educational purposes pursuant to subparagraph (B)(i)(II)'.
SEC. 4. FTC CONSUMER ALERT ON INTERNET DANGERS TO CHILDREN.
(a) Information Regarding Child Predators and the Internet- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Trade Commission shall--
(1) issue a consumer alert regarding the potential dangers to children of Internet child predators, including the potential danger of commercial social networking websites and chat rooms through which personal information about child users of such websites may be accessed by child predators; and
(2) establish a website to serve as a resource for information for parents, teachers and school administrators, and others regarding the potential dangers posed by the use of the Internet by children, including information about commercial social networking websites and chat rooms through which personal information about child users of such websites may be accessed by child predators.
(b) Commercial Social Networking Websites- For purposes of the requirements under subsection (a), the terms `commercial social networking website' and `chat room' have the meanings given such terms pursuant to section 254(h)(7)(J) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(7)(J)), as amended by this Act.
May 5, 2008
Kirk, Parents and Police: Delete Online Predators
Four-million-strong Second Life site offers “rape rooms” – easy access to children
Kirk: “FTC should investigate the growing vulnerability of children to predators on Second Life”
Mount Prospect, Ill. –
U.S. Representative Mark Kirk today joined with local parents, teachers and law enforcement to call for federal action to protect kids from child predators and registered sex offenders on “Second Life” and other social networking Web sites. Congressman Kirk was joined by Mount Prospect Mayor Irvana Wilks, Mount Prospect Police Chief John Dahlberg, Mount Prospect Officer Dirk Ollech and 10th district parents and teachers Janet Joy and Bonnie Graham of Arlington Heights.
“During the past five years, social networking Web sites like MySpace, Facebook and Second Life exploded in popularity,” Congressman Kirk said. “As more kids flock to these sites, we’ve seen a corresponding increase of online sexual predators targeting children. According to a U.S. Department of Justice survey, one-in-five kids have been sexually solicited online. As new technologies develop, more disturbing revelations unfold. Sites like Second Life offer no protections to keep kids from virtual ‘rape rooms,’ brothels and drug stores. If sites like Second Life won’t protect kids from obviously inappropriate content, the Congress will.”
To raise parent awareness of these growing threats, Congressman Kirk sent a letter today to the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission requesting a consumer alert warning about the dangers of Second Life. On the site, kids create an online persona called an “avatar,” and interact with the program’s more than four million users. While Second Life claims to prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing the site, there are no age verification features built into the registration process. Second Life’s own lawyers admit that its “teen area” may have adults prowling and the adult area may have children present. Outside of the pre-approved “teen area” are countless locations where users engage in virtual prostitution, drug use and other wholly inappropriate activities. Drug dealers and predators routinely attempt to contact users in the real world once a meeting happens in Second Life.
According to I-Safe America, nearly one-third of kids have chatted with strangers on the Internet, and 12 percent have met online strangers in person. Social networking Web sites are often the entryway for predators to build trust with a kid online, preparing for an eventual “in-person” meeting.
With more than 150 million registered users on MySpace.com alone, children’s detailed personal information – last name, address, phone number, school, schedule and photograph – can be easily accessed by sexual predators. Last year, the Illinois Attorney General discovered nearly 850 registered sex offenders in Illinois who use Myspace.com.
Congressman Kirk also detailed his legislation to help parents play a larger role in the safety of their kids. He introduced the bipartisan Deleting Online Predators Act, which passed in the House in 2006 by an overwhelming vote of 410-15, but did not see Senate action. The bill currently has 91 bipartisan cosponsors.
The Deleting Online Predators Act requires schools to prevent children from accessing social networking Web sites and chat rooms like MySpace unless they are doing so for a legitimate educational purpose and are under adult supervision. It also requires public libraries to prevent children from accessing these Web sites unless they have the permission of a parent.
The Predator’s Act also requires that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 90 days:
• Create a Web site with a distinctive Uniform Resource Locator to educate parents, teachers, school officials and others regarding the dangers on the Internet to child users. This Web site would include information about commercial networking sites like MySpace and chat rooms.
• Issue consumer alerts to parents, teachers, school officials and others regarding the potential dangers of Internet child predators and their ability to contact children through commercial networking sites like MySpace and chat rooms.
The Predator’s Act requires that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC):
• Establish an advisory board to review and report commercial social networking sites like MySpace.com and chat rooms that allow sexual predators easy access to personal information of, and contact with, children.
At the press conference, officers with the Mount Prospect Police Department detailed their work to fight child predators in the suburbs. Mount Prospect was home to one of the first online child exploitation crimes. More than 10 years ago, a sixth-grade boy was lured by an adult man posing as a child on the Internet. The Florida-based predator convinced the child to board a bus for a rendezvous. Quick action by the police department and the FBI prevented the child from reaching the criminal.
Demonstrating the risks in MySpace, Mount Prospect police officers created a fictional profile of a 15-year-old Mount Prospect girl. A 29-year-old man sent the fake girl a message, calling her “adorable” and asked to get to know her better. An individual also encouraged her to prostitute herself by sending her a message about a companionship service in Elk Grove.
A copy of Congressman Kirk’s letter to the FTC and the Predators Act legislation are below. Screengrabs of inappropriate Second Life locations and MySpace predator messages are available upon request.
May 5, 2008
William E. Kovacic
Chairman
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Dear Chairman Kovacic:
I write to share my concern regarding the increasingly popular virtual reality webspace, Second Life, which contains explicit content that can be easily accessed by minors.
Second Life and its owner, Linden Lab of San Francisco, has no controls in place to prevent minors from creating an account, giving minors access to pornographic and explicit material for no charge. Second Life claims to prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing the site, but there are no age verification features built into the registration process. Although many of the program’s features require a credit card, there are many areas in which sexually explicit content is free and readily available.
Using the search tool, minors have the ability to teleport to locations where there are brothels, rape rooms, sex clubs and bondage stores. The images and language in these parts of Second Life are graphic and inappropriate for children.
Not only does Second Life contain explicit material but it also can pose as a “virtual hunting ground” for pedophiles to prey on young children using the anonymity of the Internet. Second Life has over four million users across the world. Reports of sexual assaults and kidnappings linked to the Internet are growing. According to the Justice Department, one in five kids have been sexually solicited online. I-Safe America estimates nearly one-third of kids have chatted with strangers on the Internet and 12 percent have met online strangers in person.
In 2006, Representative Frank Wolf and I wrote to your predecessor asking her to issue a consumer alert warning parents of the dangers social networking Web sites pose to children. Then-Chairman Majoras acted quickly to increase awareness of this threat among parents. I urge you, on behalf of the Commission, to take action to warn parents of the similar dangers and sexually explicit content found on Second Life. If Second Life is unwilling to protect minor children from explicit material on their Web site, it is imperative that we warn parents of the danger Second Life represents so they can effectively monitor their children’s Internet usage.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Mark Kirk
Member of Congress
H. R. 1120
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require recipients of universal service support for schools and libraries to protect minors from commercial social networking websites and chat rooms.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 16, 2007
Mr. KIRK (for himself, Mr. MATHESON, Mrs. BIGGERT, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mr. KUHL of New York, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. GERLACH, and Mr. ROSKAM) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require recipients of universal service support for schools and libraries to protect minors from commercial social networking websites and chat rooms.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Deleting Online Predators Act of 2007'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that--
(1) sexual predators approach minors on the Internet using chat rooms and social networking websites, and, according to the United States Attorney General, one in five children has been approached sexually on the Internet;
(2) sexual predators can use these chat rooms and websites to locate, learn about, befriend, and eventually prey on children by engaging them in sexually explicit conversations, asking for photographs, and attempting to lure children into a face to face meeting; and
(3) with the explosive growth of trendy chat rooms and social networking websites, it is becoming more and more difficult to monitor and protect minors from those with devious intentions, particularly when children are away from parental supervision.
SEC. 3. CERTIFICATIONS TO INCLUDE PROTECTIONS AGAINST COMMERCIAL SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES AND CHAT ROOMS.
(a) Certification by Schools- Section 254(h)(5)(B) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(5)(B)) is amended by striking clause (i) and inserting the following:
`(i) is enforcing a policy of Internet safety for minors that includes monitoring the online activities of minors and the operation of a technology protection measure with respect to any of its computers with Internet access that--
`(I) protects against access through such computers to visual depictions that are--
`(aa) obscene;
`(bb) child pornography; or
`(cc) harmful to minors; and
`(II) protects against access to a commercial social networking website or chat room unless used for an educational purpose with adult supervision; and'.
(b) Certification by Libraries- Section 254(h)(6)(B) of such Act (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(6)(B)) is amended by striking clause (i) and inserting the following:
`(i) is enforcing a policy of Internet safety that includes the operation of a technology protection measure with respect to any of its computers with Internet access that--
`(I) protects against access through such computers to visual depictions that are--
`(aa) obscene;
`(bb) child pornography; or
`(cc) harmful to minors; and
`(II) protects against access by minors without parental authorization to a commercial social networking website or chat room, and informs parents that sexual predators can use these websites and chat rooms to prey on children; and'.
(c) Definitions- Section 254(h)(7) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
`(J) COMMERCIAL SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES; CHAT ROOMS- Within 120 days after the date of enactment of the Deleting Online Predators Act of 2007, the Commission shall by rule define the terms `social networking website' and `chat room' for purposes of this subsection. In determining the definition of a social networking website, the Commission shall take into consideration the extent to which a website--
`(i) is offered by a commercial entity;
`(ii) permits registered users to create an on-line profile that includes detailed personal information;
`(iii) permits registered users to create an on-line journal and share such a journal with other users;
`(iv) elicits highly-personalized information from users; and
`(v) enables communication among users.'.
(d) Disabling During Adult or Educational Use- Section 254(h)(5)(D) of such Act is amended--
(1) by inserting `OR EDUCATIONAL' after `DURING ADULT' in the heading; and
(2) by inserting before the period at the end the following: `or during use by an adult or by minors with adult supervision to enable access for educational purposes pursuant to subparagraph (B)(i)(II)'.
SEC. 4. FTC CONSUMER ALERT ON INTERNET DANGERS TO CHILDREN.
(a) Information Regarding Child Predators and the Internet- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Trade Commission shall--
(1) issue a consumer alert regarding the potential dangers to children of Internet child predators, including the potential danger of commercial social networking websites and chat rooms through which personal information about child users of such websites may be accessed by child predators; and
(2) establish a website to serve as a resource for information for parents, teachers and school administrators, and others regarding the potential dangers posed by the use of the Internet by children, including information about commercial social networking websites and chat rooms through which personal information about child users of such websites may be accessed by child predators.
(b) Commercial Social Networking Websites- For purposes of the requirements under subsection (a), the terms `commercial social networking website' and `chat room' have the meanings given such terms pursuant to section 254(h)(7)(J) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(7)(J)), as amended by this Act.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Second Life Addiction: A Father's Tale
My Son Andrew is a second Life addict. His internet addiction started with well intentioned introductions to new technology by those who thought they were doing him a favor. It is not the case.
Second Life is an online community where people who have enablers willing to give them money and a means to maintain their basic biological functions, to escape into a fantasy world they create. Real life is hard. People who want to dodge the discomfort associated with maturing into responsible,productive citizens will escape into second life just as a heroin addict escapes into a fantasy world via injection.
Second Life junkies will become combative and argumentative when confronted just as an alcoholic or drug user becomes combative. It has cost me a son. I guess I am a bad father. I believed that he could control his usage and time on it. He spends 12 hours a day on Second Life and has Second Life friends contacting him via cell phone so he can participate even when he is absent from his home computer.
They say alcoholics and drug abusers need to hit rock bottom before they decide to pull themselves out. My greatest fear is that my son has a network of enablers that will never allow "rock bottom" to happen. They will give him a place to stay and money for food( or maybe even free food and board and transportation) and will not require anything from him. One of his friends parents regularly allows their unemployed and drug abusing son to have friends live at their house when the kids don't want to follow rules in the family.
I hope and pray my own family will not do the same. By giving him the means to survive without discomfort will allow him to continue his addiction unabated. Our son does not need a new place to live. He has a home with us. He chose to leave because of our,his parents, desire for him to separate himself from his second life addiction and interact with the real world. Rejoining the real world was something he was not going to do willingly. If we were going to force him to do it he said he was going to leave. Something he did last night.
I hope he will come to his senses. I hope that sleeping on a couch at a friends house will make him uncomfortable enough to change his behaivor. I hope that if he goes to familiy members for comfort they will respect our wishes and send him home where he can get the love and care he needs. I hope he will grow into a fine man. Until he overcomes this addiction, he will forever remain a stunted individual wasting his opportunities and his future.
This is a cautionary tale and is true. Computers should not be in children's bedrooms and their time should be limited. The internet addiction breeds sociopathic behavior in my opinion. We need to act now or their may not be a generation left to save.
Second Life is an online community where people who have enablers willing to give them money and a means to maintain their basic biological functions, to escape into a fantasy world they create. Real life is hard. People who want to dodge the discomfort associated with maturing into responsible,productive citizens will escape into second life just as a heroin addict escapes into a fantasy world via injection.
Second Life junkies will become combative and argumentative when confronted just as an alcoholic or drug user becomes combative. It has cost me a son. I guess I am a bad father. I believed that he could control his usage and time on it. He spends 12 hours a day on Second Life and has Second Life friends contacting him via cell phone so he can participate even when he is absent from his home computer.
They say alcoholics and drug abusers need to hit rock bottom before they decide to pull themselves out. My greatest fear is that my son has a network of enablers that will never allow "rock bottom" to happen. They will give him a place to stay and money for food( or maybe even free food and board and transportation) and will not require anything from him. One of his friends parents regularly allows their unemployed and drug abusing son to have friends live at their house when the kids don't want to follow rules in the family.
I hope and pray my own family will not do the same. By giving him the means to survive without discomfort will allow him to continue his addiction unabated. Our son does not need a new place to live. He has a home with us. He chose to leave because of our,his parents, desire for him to separate himself from his second life addiction and interact with the real world. Rejoining the real world was something he was not going to do willingly. If we were going to force him to do it he said he was going to leave. Something he did last night.
I hope he will come to his senses. I hope that sleeping on a couch at a friends house will make him uncomfortable enough to change his behaivor. I hope that if he goes to familiy members for comfort they will respect our wishes and send him home where he can get the love and care he needs. I hope he will grow into a fine man. Until he overcomes this addiction, he will forever remain a stunted individual wasting his opportunities and his future.
This is a cautionary tale and is true. Computers should not be in children's bedrooms and their time should be limited. The internet addiction breeds sociopathic behavior in my opinion. We need to act now or their may not be a generation left to save.
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