Gaming Addiction, Meta Moments, and Finding The Courage to Become Real
A story of merging the real with the virtual
One of the first signs that I could possibly fall into gaming addiction was when I started playing Ragnarok Online at seven years old. Growing up, I was a problematic middle child with a penchant for getting into trouble. I would cut classes, run away from home, and at one point, engaged in a violent altercation with my brother. We threw plates at each other because he thought I stole his +7 Very Very Strong Windsmith’s Blade.
Out of concern, my parents did everything to keep me occupied. After school, they sent me everywhere -painting, golf, Taekwondo, acting classes, voice lessons, etc… I had unlimited energy, no attention span, and a desire to experience so many things. When they weren’t looking, I was secretly beta testing online games on the side.
By fourteen, I was admitted on a scholarship to the top high school in the Philippines. Known as a special school for gifted children, it was quite common to hear people making fireworks, water rockets, or even entire board games for fun.
