Hobby vs. Addiction?

Today in our largely focussed topic of addiction, I was thinking about other addictions and whether they are again seen as BAD or GOOD. Television programs can be just as addictive as video games. Many parents are concerned about how much time their children spend in front of the box and whether it affects them. Many people use the television as a babysitter as it keeps the kiddies focussed and busy while mummy goes and has a sneaky fag out on the porch.

Another addiction! Smoking. Like mentioned today, we know it is not illegal therefore it does not bring a distancing between society but is sometimes frowned upon and is decreasing in New Zealand. I have recently given up smoking. Admittedly it has only been 11days but I have had no mood swings or desperate cravings yet everyone is different and I had only been smoking for about a year an a half. They say that it is the nicotine and with other drugs the chemicals that keep us addicted but the odd thing is, is that in order to get passed these addictions we must conquer the crave in our mind.

Now is this not the same with any other addiction? Whether it be shopping, television, gaming or smoking; they are all things that (if causing a problem) we must fight through the cravings with willpower.

I have known many a friend lost to the world of world of warcraft. They did not see it as an addiction and it possibly wasn't but to us it was. I had one classmate who was a bmx-riding-joke-telling amigo but suddenly... one day... he became emotionally and physically out-of-order. One Saturday afternoon on a beautiful Gisborne summer day, I was asked over to said-friend's house. Expecting pool swims, a bit of cricket and maybe a walk to the shops I was sadly mistaken. I spent 3hours watching him play world of warcraft and got about 3 words out of him. The only emotion showing on this man's face was anger at the incompetence of the game not going his way. I'm thinking "Why on earth are you playing this game if it doesn't give you anything out of it but partial anger?"

Zombie friend has now since realised you need not spend so much time of something that isn't real (per-say). Now we just have to do something about his constant abuse of the Mary Jane plant...

Here's a final clip too - it is an oldy but a goody so if you have seen it don't be like 'ohhh that's sooo old' too bad, this class wasn't available to me when this clip was :P

http://www.pwned.nl/

Kia Kaha.

Reg.