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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsFCC Comissioner: World of Warcraft causes college dropouts
by Mike Schramm 
Dec 11th 2008 at 3:00PM
Oh boy. Deborah Tate is an FCC Commissioner (and will be for another three years at least -- she was appointed for another five year term in 2007), and claimed in a speech about telecom policy and regulation last week that "one of the top reasons for college drop-outs in the U.S. is online gaming addiction -- such as World of Warcraft -- which is played by 11 million individuals worldwide."Never mind that World of Warcraft, is a game, not an addiction, and never mind that most of those 11 million people play it and are completely healthy socially and financially, and never mind even that any evidence you'd find that World of Warcraft causes dropouts is anecdotal at best. Can you really blame a game for someone making the choice to leave college? We, as you might have guessed, think not.
And there's more: Tate's Wikipedia page says that not only has she spoken out strongly in favor of DRM, and not only has she taken talking points directly from Clear Channel in trying to work on the Sirus/XM merger (a government official speaking the words of a corporation, that's just what we need), but she has also blamed television for childhood obesity. Nice one. One more reason why we are thrilled to see that we may finally get some folks in the FCC who actually know what they're talking about when it comes to online gaming.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, News items
Reader Comments (Page 9 of 9)
ravenfrost Dec 12th 2008 5:06AM
Fcc is retarded to blame games for drop outs like so many of u say its not the game its the person this goes also upon the issue that video games cause violence personally were born violent were just in hybernated state till that one day something pushes us over the edge the human is capabale of the most inhumane tortures or actions yet we try to blame something than ourselfs to make us feel better absolutley pathetic take responsibility for your actions no one is in control of your life but you you yourself determine your game time your cource of action your weighty decsison dont let the system control you control the system. After all there the same skin and bones as we just with a title pft im not scared of no fcc scum.
Matchles Dec 12th 2008 5:06AM
Screw her, I more than likely fit her definition of a "WoW addict". I have an 80 in a raiding guild and play at least a couple hours a day.
I'm also one term away from my master's degree, pulling straight As and working 20 hours a week.
Beausoleil Dec 12th 2008 5:32AM
Hell, if I had played WoW in college instead of drinking so much, I probably wouldn't have droppped out, hah.
asdfate Dec 12th 2008 8:47AM
Spelling error in the headline, so I can't even read the story.
Neil Dec 12th 2008 8:17AM
Online gambling has undergone similar criticisms over the past few years.
Hell, a law was even sneakily snuck onto a border protection bill in the 11th hour to attempt to thwart it. However, us gamblers can still play online without any fear despite that weak-ass bill, and those in Congress who were the catalysts of the bill (when really they should have been worried about more things that this) luckily almost got wiped out by the last election.
Avillan Dec 12th 2008 8:40AM
You know all these supposed studies and people blaming their problems on games or television is just absurd. Try actually taking responsibility for your actions once. Our society has moved to blaming any inanimate object or business or anything other than themselves for the things they do.
If you make the decision to do something then take the consequences that come with the decision you made and quit QQ about it.
Charles Dec 12th 2008 9:43AM
She got a nice little email from this 3.83 GPA college student, who also plays Warcraft at least 30 hours a week. I would encourage others to email her.
Molebomb Dec 12th 2008 10:47AM
Hmm...
I'm in college and started playing wow freshman year. I've been playing it throughout college and I'm graduating in May.
HEY LOOK!:
WOW CAUSES KIDS TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE.
I'd better start leveling another toon.
candy Dec 12th 2008 10:57AM
I wouldn't try to place blame wholly on games or television but it does contribute. The mechanics in WoW aren't time friendly.
hENNIFER pANTALON Dec 12th 2008 11:25AM
Stupid cunt is stupid.
Leonardo Dec 15th 2008 5:04AM
Well, as you stated, WoW is a game. But is potencially more adictive than any other regular video game (this due to several factors like multiplayer gaming and new and constant upgrades to "show off" a neverending story, etc.). And it's correct, most of the players are not addicts, as it happens with all the people over the world that drinks alcohol, the same thing applies to drugs.
However, it must be pointed out that this game can take its toll on people with addictive behaviors, more than any other regular video game, I suggest for those to go and do some real life sport.
Pollux Dec 15th 2008 10:08PM
Wahhh, QQ, I'm a gamer who says WoW isn't addictive, but has not stopped playing regularly for the past five years because I don't think it's worth quitting temporarily just to show that I'm not addicted!
Your logic is infallible. Bigots.
Matdredalia Dec 16th 2008 11:42AM
Um, excuse me, but, I've played MMO's for almost 10 years, even while I was in college (both EverQuest II & WoW at different times) and I have NEVER had a problem with any game hindering my studies.
Video games are only addictive if you LET them be. When I started my freshman year of college, I sat down with my family (who all play WoW as well) and asked them to let me know if they thought I was playing too much when I should be studying, or staying up too late when I needed more rest, whatever.
Guess what? They never had to, even once. Because *gasp* I took responsibility for MY OWN ACTIONS and made a decision to do what was best for my life.
Anybody who wants to blame WoW for college dropouts is a complete and total idiot, because at the end of the day, we all CHOOSE to play the game. It's not an addiction, it's a choice.
If we want to blame something for college drop outs, let's look at a failing economy where people can't afford to keep food on the table, let alone go to school. Or where a young woman who is working 60 hours a week, plus going to college full time, and is pregnant, can't get medicaid unless she drops out of college, but an unemployed, able-bodied loser who sits at home eating cheetos can get food stamps, medicaid, and supplementary income for doing nothing but sitting on his arse.
We want to blame someone for drop outs? Let's blame the system giving these kids NO choice instead of a game that IS a choice in and of itself.
LOL Dec 16th 2008 3:59PM
I blame it on the weed & alcohol people consume while playing
Frou-Frou Dec 16th 2008 4:17PM
That is hysterical. I love how the fact we chock our foods full of genetically altered sweetners and chemicals, high fructose corn syrup doesnt top the list in regards to childhood obesity.
I watched TV like a fiend when I was a child (back when sugar sweetened 90% of everything) and i was never and am still not overweight.
Also for this lady to blame college drop-out rates on gaming is just stupid. I'd be willing to bet that most people who drop out of college now are either the percentage that are going to drop out or people affected by the fact they raise tuition higher and higher every year almost to the point of it being unreachable to the average joe who doesnt have a trust fund or the credit to get 50k+ in debt by age 20.
Lets recap:
Obesity is NOT caused by the chemistry experiments we put in our foods. It's simply one too many episodes of G.I Joe.
Gaming causes acts of real life violence, dropping out of school, obesity, car thefts, drug use, and many other "unsavory social acts"
Keep in mind, there is no proof that cigarettes cause cancer....
I agree, get the ignorant dinosaurs out of these offices. How can we possibly have a properly run country when we have people who would think spam is only a canned food product and FPS is a new STD.
To quote Gob Bluth from Arrested Development...
CMON!
Frou-Frou Dec 16th 2008 4:23PM
PS: Those of you who think a game, TV or anything CONTRIBUTES to a problem are incorrect.
Adults are responsible for there own prioritizing. If you cant handle managing your time and priorities, YOU are to blame.
if you are a child and cannot do the above, it is still YOU PARENTS job to be a PARENT. Passive parenting by sticking a child in front of the babsitter called TV or Video game is nobodies fault but the parent.
There is nothing to be said about how a game mechanic or any other load of crap os responsible. YOU MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS and if you do not its either YOUR FAULT or YOUR PARENTS FAULT.
End of Story.
Frou-Frou Dec 16th 2008 4:29PM
I say we burn all of the CD, Tapes and Records...its devils music and causes people to bcome satanists, commit suicide, murder, rape pillage and plunder.
Burn the books too! Huck Finn teaches racism. The holocaust never happened and frankly those comic books arent looking very safe to me either.
People just want something to blame for the fact they cant manage there life and the government is more concerned with making the country look good by using things as scapegoat.
Never let the truth get int he way of a good story.
nick Dec 17th 2008 1:53AM
Yeah WoW played a part in me dropping out of college. so in that sense you could say it also had a part in pushing me closer to deciding to enlist in the military, and become part of the navys nuke program. i can see how this is a bad thing.
Tell me again, where it is written that in order to be successful you must first attend, and successfully complete, college?
Kharpern Dec 18th 2008 4:52PM
"...she has also blamed television for childhood obesity"
Riiiiiiight...
This has nothing to do with the food their parents buy or the fact that their not encouraging their kids to get off their asses and get some physical activity.
Buddy, get off your fat a$$ and go for a walk in the park with your kid.