SRL Archive - RuneScape News and General

Sam, ran away from home after his mom tried to limit the amount of time he would have to play runescape.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/mums-cry-for-help-after-her-son-becomes-addicted-to-role-play-game-runescape/story-e6frg6n6-1226557767288

Internet gaming addiction becoming a mental illness
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Readers tell of net addict kids 'on downward spiral'

KAREN'S* 17-year-old son Sam stays up for 25 hours at a time, rarely washes, never cuts his hair.

He's gaunt, subsisting on occasional meals of fast food, and barely talks. He's a junkie, but he's not addicted to drugs. He's addicted to Runescape.

With more than 200 million registered players, Runescape is one of the world's largest free online role-playing games.

Set in a medieval fantasy world, players can cast themselves as an array of different characters from warriors to wizards and either compete or work together to fight monsters, complete quests and earn new "skills".

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It is a game without an end. A fully immersive, simulated reality that exists as long as you are logged in to it.
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It is also highly addictive and for Adelaide teen Sam, who spends an average of 16 hours a day inside the game, it is almost his entire reality. "He's living his life in the game, that's where he wants to be," Karen says.

Two years ago Karen says Sam was a bright, smart teenage boy with a normal social life and an interest in team sports. Then halfway through Year 10 he dropped out of school. He enrolled at TAFE and dropped out of that too. He stopped seeing his friends, stopped talking and withdrew from his family, spending more and more of his time in the fictional Runescape world.

Thinking it was just a phase, and following the traditional advice given to parents, Karen took away Sam's computer, which is when a bad situation turned into a full-blown nightmare.

"Once when I was out he smashed up my bedroom, upending furniture, ripping down curtains from their tracks and cutting electrical cords with scissors, tripping the safety switches," she said.

Finally Sam ran away, sleeping rough to more easily access city internet cafes where you can play up to 13 hours straight for just $10.

Has gaming addiction caused problems for you or your loved ones? Email us here.

Unaware of his motivations and thinking he was developing schizophrenia, Karen called emergency mental health services, who couldn't help because Sam was under 18. She tried the police, but they couldn't compel Sam to go to hospital. They offered to lock him up for the night, but Karen refused.

It wasn't until she saw Sam's bank statement - showing he was spending most of his $407.50 fortnightly Youth Allowance on internet cafes, fast food meals and on gambling games within Runescape itself - that she realised the problem was Runescape, and tracked Sam down to an internet cafe.

"He actually looked like a junkie but he had no track marks. He was very gaunt, very dirty," she said.

Now without any official support services available to her, Karen has been forced to invent her own "12-point plan" to entice her son back home and wean him off his chronic video game addiction.

She has bolted the computer to the wall of the loungeroom in an effort to monitor his usage, and for the past few weeks has given him free rein, just to keep him off the streets. The next steps involve installing an internet lock to restrict access at certain times of the day and re-introducing him to regular meal times and sleep patterns.

It's a burden Karen says she wouldn't have to shoulder on her own if problems like Sam's were officially recognised as mental disorders.

"I want to see it recognised as a problem, and I want to see it given prevention, treatment and control programs," she said.

The creators of Runescape, UK developers Jagex, did not respond to requests for comment.

*Names have been changed

Well that was dumb… didn't she know she could have given him Skyrim?

Wow

It wasn't until she saw Sam's bank statement - showing he was spending most of his $407.50 fortnightly Youth Allowance on internet cafes, fast food meals and on gambling games within Runescape itself - that she realised the problem was Runescape, and tracked Sam down to an internet cafe.

From: Jakee
Wow

Well that is one thing you can't fix with skyrim… That is absolutely insane.

The fact he gets $407 a fortnight is stupid (it doesn't mention him having a job so I presume she gives him that?) But yeah I'm sure theres more like this all over runescape. Maybe even a few on these fourms.

From: The Killer
The fact he gets $407 a fortnight is stupid (it doesn't mention him having a job so I presume she gives him that?) But yeah I'm sure theres more like this all over runescape. Maybe even a few on these fourms.

Yeah gets a lot of money for doing nothing, his mom was spoiling him too much in that way.
Not by the fact that rs is a boring game, I just don't understand how he couldn't control his urges to play the game? Nobody could go that mental.

And to ______ , your posts makes no sense mate :)

Hmmm I wish they had the real names. A couple months back we got some emails from an upset mother saying that her son spent all day and night on the computer playing RS and asked(demanded at first) that we delete her sons account (Was a minor, we had to). It took about 7 tries before he stop registering, or figured out that he shouldn't log on around his mom.

From: Hobbit
Hmmm I wish they had the real names. A couple months back we got some emails from an upset mother saying that her son spent all day and night on the computer playing RS and asked(demanded at first) that we delete her sons account (Was a minor, we had to). It took about 7 tries before he stop registering, or figured out that he shouldn't log on around his mom.

What on these fourms? Should of told her son to encourage him to bot instead of playing ;)

wait suomi is missing?

Glad I don't play this game anymore. It really was addicting and as I was reading this story, it sort of reminded me of my younger self. Poor kid, but there is nothing his mom can do to stop him from playing runescape; I know my mom tried also with me but it was I who decided to quit the game because it was interfering with school. The most his mom can do is pray for him because the battle is the Lord's.

In mixed here with putting the blame on
1. The media for some what over exaggerating the news report
2. The mother for giving him that much money as an allowance
3. The son might have a problem mentally

From: The Killer
What on these fourms? Should of told her son to encourage him to bot instead of playing ;)

Yeah, was going to say: "Play Runescape? That's what Simba's for, silly :p"

From: kyleinkman
wait suomi is missing?

Ha!

From: [Re]cUrSivE
Glad I don't play this game anymore. It really was addicting and as I was reading this story, it sort of reminded me of my younger self. Poor kid, but there is nothing his mom can do to stop him from playing runescape; I know my mom tried also with me but it was I who decided to quit the game because it was interfering with school. The most his mom can do is pray for him because the battle is the Lord's.

Unfortunately I was like that in my youth. I would get vexed if I couldn't play. But now it's cool :)I think he's going overboard though.

LOL Wait until he gets his hands on WoW. Then it'll be a nightmare.

16? This is what people do at 11/12…

He gets money fortnightly for doing nothing, when he could have a job? Spoiled.

I hate it when parents blame something else for their own problems, if your son is spending too much time on the computer then it's you're fault ygm, stupid parents

From: Mr[S]
I hate it when parents blame something else for their own problems, if your son is spending too much time on the computer then it's you're fault ygm, stupid parents

agreed, and if hes 17 tearing up his moms room somthings wrong

Well, I guess that's better than spending it on H.

I knew I played a lot back in junior high but priorities quickly shifted in high school. I really do feel bad for this kid, he doesn't realize what he's throwing away every day, and how in the end, nothing he is working for now matters at all. He needs to lay off or atleast cut back before he ruins it for good.

I hope none of my fellow SRL'ers have a problem like that. The real world is all around you, and it's so much more than what you know.

Was a period when I would play easy 12-16hrs a day of video games, but that only lasted like 4-6months. When I realized how much of a loser I was being and decided to bot instead of play so I could focus on school.

From: Mr[S]
I hate it when parents blame something else for their own problems, if your son is spending too much time on the computer then it's you're fault ygm, stupid parents

Not always true. If you had a younger person you had to raise in a society where kids have almost more power than their parents, there is only so little you can do when it comes to discipline. And coupled with the fact that you are a single parent. As I mentioned before, his mom should be praying for him because that is the most she can do at this point.

Like it was mentioned, usually no normal person could be like this without some sort of "mental health issue" underlining. Clearly he wasn't being treated and found rs to substitude for whatever it was that was missing in his life?

I knew I played a lot way back in highschool, but even I wouldn't not bathe and or not eat. That's lidicrous to me.

@whatHobbitsaid, wow.

From: Neznam
Like it was mentioned, usually no normal person could be like this without some sort of "mental health issue" underlining. Clearly he wasn't being treated and found rs to substitude for whatever it was that was missing in his life?

I knew I played a lot way back in highschool, but even I wouldn't not bathe and or not eat. That's lidicrous to me.

@whatHobbitsaid, wow.

It's hard to put yourself in other's people mind. Don't know how they feel, think..
Best if they went to a GOOD shrink, someone who really understands human nature, or atleast someone who cares.

Worst part is that his mom just stood on the sideline day after day, see it getting worse. and then its too late
This isn't smthing to take on lightly, still his life on line. He just needs to snap out of it.

From: Sjoekeloe


Worst part is that his mom just stood on the sideline day after day, see it getting worse. and then its too late

I doubt it was like that. Teenage boys aren't just the best in listening to their parents. :/
They're still in that "The principal is a fag" mode.

From: psyno
I doubt it was like that. Teenage boys aren't just the best in listening to their parents. :/
They're still in that "The principal is a fag" mode.

Haha true that :)
Though shouldn't have been so soft on him..

I don't understand how someone can play that long for, like the most I can legit is like an hour without getting bored

From: kyleinkman
I don't understand how someone can play that long for, like the most I can legit is like an hour without getting bored

Same, unless it's like dung which I can't bot (well pb but you will get banned)

This is all sad.. :/ I now understand why my parents were really anal about Runescape when I was younger. Probably helped me for the futher. ;)

<3 Parents.

Hmm at 17 there are better things to do than to play video games all day, especially with $400 to spend. I hope that video games aren't the next thing on the "Ban-Wagon" like guns, real sugar and low fuel economy cars :-/

From: Sjoekeloe

He just needs to snap out of it.

Addiction to games, or an addiction to drugs, its pretty much the same thing. People can't just "snap out of it", if only it was THAT easy everyone would be doing it.

From: Neznam
Addiction to games, or an addiction to drugs, its pretty much the same thing. People can't just "snap out of it", if only it was THAT easy everyone would be doing it.

I'd say addicitions to games are way easier to snap out than drugs ;)

From: The Killer
What on these fourms? Should of told her son to encourage him to bot instead of playing ;)

I actually spent more time on RS (scripting) after i've learnt to bot :p
Back in the days before i started botting i was still a f2p and played RS like once/month since the game is really boring… (esp since i was f2p)
Now the game is ruined to such an extend that i don't even bother to bot much anymore :x

You guys are all calling him addicted and he should stop, I feel that you're just jealous because he's dedicated to what he is doing… ;)

From: Sjoekeloe
I'd say addicitions to games are way easier to snap out than drugs ;)

We'll we are all entitled to our own opinions but for example to me, addiction to gambling is ridiculous, can't see how someone would keep spending their money on a thing that is 99% of the time designed to take your money. In this case you don't see how addiction to rs is serious. But people are all different and different addictions to them can be AS serious as any other addiction.

From: psyno
You guys are all calling him addicted and he should stop, I feel that you're just jealous because he's dedicated to what he is doing… ;)

If it was a dedication to something productive, I'd definitely be jealous. Curing a disease that has no cure yet is something Id definitely go without showering/proper eating, but playing a video game? Hellz no

This is nothing compared to my old computer back in the day when scar took over your mouse.

Where a regular computer is used to automate tasks (word processing, internet, etc) and of course for our enjoyment (in the form of games and paint), this computer wasn't used for such tasks. For days and days it was gaining levels in a virtual environment called runescape. The only time off was when a random event ended the fun and left the computer in confusion. But even those random events were just a break, it wouldn't take long before the bot was setup again and actions in the virtual world continued.

In the end the computer got dumped when the owner, me, lost interest in botting. A sad day, even now it is still gathering dust in a dark and cold corner of my basement. All of the past actions seems lost, when jagex decided to make highscores members only, and at that day the last sign, the last evidence, disappeared forever.

From: Neznam



If it was a dedication to something productive, I'd definitely be jealous. Curing a disease that has no cure yet is something Id definitely go without showering/proper eating, but playing a video game? Hellz no

Only 16 hours a day? What a noob!