Is World of Warcraft a Healthy Pastime?

World of Warcraft, or WoW, was released in November of 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. WoW players have been documented to spend hours, even days, online competing in the fantasy universe of Warcraft. This universe includes dragons, elves and vampires, spaceships, and time travel. Players embark on a series of quests to find or deliver a particular object in a specific region of Warcraft, or to kill creatures. The more each character plays, their skills and levels of power all increase within the game.

But there is a very real aspect of playing World of Warcraft, and it is the risk of forming a psychological dependence on the game. While many individuals find that it provides a release from their daily worries, for those with a tendency toward addiction, online game play can be just as powerful and destructive as excessive alcohol or drug use.

One of the risks of too much World of Warcraft includes social isolation. So much focus can be placed on online relationships in the game, that real-life relationships are neglected. Normal daily tasks can be replaced by game play as well, so job and school performance, in addition to social support, can be compromised. Health risks are also very real, since sleep, exercise, and proper nutrition are often put aside for more game time. One has to wonder how healthy online competition really is once a player feels it is their main source of happiness.