There are several aspects of online gaming that support depression, including human connectivity ( although the current theories bouncing around hypothesize that the more you are socially connected online, the lonelier you are, ala Facebook’s ‘a man dying of thirst in an ocean of salt water’ syndrome), the effect of a kind of escape into a world that can be explored ( the Travelers Syndrome, where you are trapped by your real world life and dream of seeing the world but can’t), and last but most important, a feeling of control and power that is denied you at work, school, marriage, family, and by your bank account.įor me, most days are brighter than the bulk of that curve, but when times get tough ( and they always do), I find myself thinking about the escape that such games offer. This is where online gaming might come into play. As above, for the worst cases, like Robin Williams last week, the only true escape seems to call for the end of it all on a permanent basis.Īs with any Bell Curve, I think the bulk of Americans and their First World Problems ( I know Ethiopia, you are currently crying us a river) are in some comfortable ( yet stoically miserable) place right in the middle. It is a hard truth, but as I sit and think about it, I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter who you are, you carry depression with you.ĭepression is a constant but varied affliction of the human condition, and to those suffering the least, perhaps a nightly sitcom and a bowl of popcorn stave off the stresses of a cubical lived workday. Some cope better than others, some take drugs, and in the extreme, some take their own lives. You see, I live in a world of artists and writers, and that means depression is probably the most prevalent topic among my fellows every day of the year.

There were arguments on both sides, of course, but after I was done, I couldn’t help but side against them actually causing the mental disorder.

I read an article a while back that very eloquently debated the theory that online games, specifically Massive Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Games, were the root cause of depression.

Sword Art Online by Reki Kawahara