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The latest patch 5.4 newsDr. Phil confronts WoW players
by Mike Schramm 
Oct 22nd 2008 at 3:30PM
Yes, Oprah's psychologist (actually, I heard just the other day on Wait Wait that Dr. Phil was originally hired as a jury consultant on Oprah's beef slander case) has turned his mustachioed and Texas-accented attention to MMO gamers, and it's the usual rundown: someone's been playing the game way too much, and it's time for Dr. Phil to draw out the stereotype to anyone who finds a little fun in the online world of Azeroth.To be fair, I haven't seen the show itself, so maybe Phil does admit that millions of people around the world play these games in their free time, and that the vast majority of them have paying jobs, lead healthy lives and have happy relationships. But he doesn't feature any of those on his website -- instead, he's got the story of lives ruined over and over again because folks without self control took their game too far. And all the usual TV culprits are there -- flash cuts of chaotic keyboard and controller pressing, blurred video, and pictures of pasty gamers playing late into the night while the rest of their lives go ignored. Worried that you might be addicted? Dr. Phil's also got a "gaming behavior audit" that will let you know, in just ten questions, whether you're an addict or not. Here's a helpful question: do you feel you play online games to deal with anxiety or depression in your life? If so, you may have anxiety or depression in your life! Thanks, Dr. Phil!
In all seriousness, sure, it's possible to play these games too much, and if you're playing the game even after you've lost a job or sacrificed a relationship, it's time to get help (or even better, just unplug the computer). But it would be nice to see a healthy gamer on these shows once in a while -- there's definitely plenty of them around, too.
[via BlizzPlanet]
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Humor
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 5)
Mixx Oct 23rd 2008 8:47AM
Dr. Phil is a douche.........
Slayblaze Oct 22nd 2008 4:06PM
Please don't click that dr. phil link - it only encourages him and the extra hits on his site will only help him to prove his "point".
Leanne Oct 22nd 2008 4:07PM
Take that 10 question guide and substitute alchohol or anything else and zomg alert the internets everyone has an addiction!!
1. Do you feel that you need to play with puppies as a way of dealing with anxiety or depression in your general life?
2. Are you preoccupied with puppies so much that you are distracted from the priorities in your life, such as relationships, school or jobs?
3. Have you lied to your friends or family to conceal your obsessive thinking about puppies?
4. Do you get restless and irritable when you are away from puppies or feel that you are restricted from your next puppy event?
5. Have you attempted to stop or cut back your puppy behavior, but failed because of the anxiety, depression or general stress you experience?
6. Do you feel you need to play with puppies because it gives you the self-esteem and confidence other activities don’t?
7. Have you lost or damaged a relationship, such as affectionate, sexual or parental connection because of your obsession, lying or distorting your behavior with puppies?
8. Have you diminished your goals, such as grades, sports, money, etc. because of your obsession with puppies?
9. Have you lost or damaged job opportunities because of your obsessive puppy behavior?
10. Have you lost or damaged family and community relationships because of your puppy behavior?
There are people out there that legitimately need help for addiciton and my heart goes out to them. This is just another outlet to make money for the psuedo authorities.
William Oct 23rd 2008 11:04AM
Puppies? Now THAT was funny. And so much so because of the grains of truth in your statements. If you go by "Dr." Phil's questionairre you may find you are addicted to things like going to the bathroom as well.....
Kar On E Oct 22nd 2008 4:12PM
Anyone else tempted to try and get on his show to defend gaming for once, show that not every gamer is obsessive about it? I for one would love to make that a WoW Insider meetup! :)
Taytayflan Oct 22nd 2008 4:32PM
I envisioned myself counter-acting every wrong statement he made while I was watching this show.
jim carey Oct 22nd 2008 6:50PM
lets raid dr phil.
William Oct 23rd 2008 11:07AM
Ooooo "Dr." Phil Raid? What server? I want in!!
Graham Oct 22nd 2008 4:17PM
Wow. That episode is just one huge logical fallacy. Dr. Phil used the "Texas Sharpshooter" method of getting his point across- he only showed data that helped prove his point. If he doesn't show both data trends (healthy gamers vs. unhealthy gamers) then the entire argument is meaningless.
Good job, Phil. Better luck next time. :P
Arcaria Oct 22nd 2008 4:26PM
That depends on whether or not he had chosen a side in the debate or if he was trying to have a fair and unbiased look into video game addiction. The very title of the show would seem to imply that the show was NOT about people who weren't addicted but instead focusing on those who are. Not defending Dr. Phil because I think he's a fraud but the very nature of the topic points to it being one-sided.
If you're doing a piece about alcohol addiction why would you bring in a bunch of people who don't drink or only drink socially but have no problems with it?
cmsciulli Oct 22nd 2008 4:31PM
Graham, that's the entire premise of his show. . . only showing a small, abnormal segment of society and then sensationalizing it so that all the soccer moms watching the show panic.
For a good time, go read the messages related to this show on Dr. Phil's own message board. Elizabeth Wolley actual has made a few posts there.
I am shocked that after all these years and after knowing that her son was on serious medication before playing Everquest, she still insists it was the game that lead him to suicide.
Hmmmm, logic and science to Wolley, don't you think that it is more likely that your son had pre existing mental and behavioral problems that caused him to be more susceptible to depression and anti social behavior, and more susceptible to become addicted to gaming? For all we know he could have been drawn to drugs instead of games and he probably still would have committed suicide in the end, because he was mentally unbalanced.
Graham Oct 22nd 2008 8:19PM
But after you watch the show, you are left with an impression that is untrue- that WoW is a huge problem in people's lives. Whether it's the nature of the show or not, he still isn't telling us the full story and he is making people believe something that is not true, which is bad.
All I'm saying is that I'm not falling for it. :P
stevens.ce Oct 22nd 2008 4:21PM
"Looking forward to you!"
LOL
(sorry)
Kraas Oct 22nd 2008 4:24PM
"They've got a saying in Texas: 'I'm not a real doctor.'"
Wesson Oct 22nd 2008 4:26PM
The questions are so loaded it's ridiculous.
"9. Have you lost or damaged job opportunities because of your obsessive gaming behavior?"
The point of the "audit" is to confirm or deny whether or not you have obsessive gaming behaviour, and in order to answer this question properly you would need to know you already have it.
Dr Phil should hook up with Dr Gillian McKeith.
Oldbear Oct 22nd 2008 4:46PM
He should hook up with Dr. Kevorkian instead...
Robert Oct 22nd 2008 4:48PM
rofl, i would love to see Dr. Phil try and attack the mmo franchises, especially the wow one. Besides he pulled 4 people from the gaming world who dont have self control.. Mmm. Real smart, thatll really bring down the 30-40 million or more people world wide who play mmos and have no respect for other because using the word noob is to awesome for them... Phillip.. Your playing with the big boys now, maybe you should sit this one out.
Fenom Oct 22nd 2008 4:42PM
"In all seriousness, sure, it's possible to play these games too much, and if you're playing the game even after you've lost a job or sacrificed a relationship, it's time to get help (or even better, just unplug the computer)."
uh, after you lost your job is the best time to play, what else are you gon do with all that free time
Verit Oct 22nd 2008 5:12PM
If you lost your job because of the game though... different story which is what he's talking about.
Dejablue Oct 22nd 2008 4:49PM
The very same thing happened to television when it was first introduced. It was dubbed the boob tube for a reason.
Any type of new information technology is blamed for myriad of life's problems, and can usually be a means of fulfilling those problems like addiction.
There have been many shows on simple internet addiction.
As time goes by and we realise there is always addiction, it just festers in new forms, we hear less of library addiction, now internet addiction, or television addiction, now WoW addiction or MMO addiction.
To be sure WoW can be addictive and blizzard realises this and employs psychologist/phsychiatrist, whichever I dunno which is which, to help them make sure their game is not too obtusely or acutely addictive, among other things I am sure.
The very basis of MMOs is we are human beings, which have a tendency for "completionism".
In the end it is a disease, Alcohol, drugs wow, food, all addictions, all the same thing. If it wasn't WoW it would be something else. They still have addictions, its a matter of what to.