Ultima Online is evil... I'm serious

[gen200]

my little sister, age 9, is absolutely addicted to a game called Ultima Online.

she hit her little brother, age 6, for annoying her, and afterwards, she wailed and screamed when I took her off the game.

she has been playing this game more and more, every day, and I really am worried about her mental state.

she used to be very smart, she could do third-grade multiplication at grade one, then she started playing this game and destroyed her ability to diferentiate between reality and fantasy, and absolutely emmersed herself in several private servers for this game, every. waking. moment.

I'm trying to cut her of from the game, but I'm meeting a LOT of resistence.

could anyone give me ANY advice on the subject?

[Liberal Cynic]

Well one of the first steps in solving the problem is varifying a motive. Why does she play the game endlessly? Lack of human interaction? Lack of constructive oppertunities? Distraction from an imperfect world? All possibilities. This could just be a passing phase for her. (something similar that happened to me between summer break of 4th and 5th grade. I was hooked on a game called RuneScape but just a passing phase until school started up again)
But if this intense game playing runs over into effecting her education then its a serious problem not many of us on this forum are qualified to comment on. So maybe the best plan is patients and waiting to see if it is a phase. Otherwise try asking a parent for help.

[gen200]

thanks, I owe you one, and our mother is already informed.

She (the little sister) says It's because she 'has nothing else to do', so I'm gonna get her active in something else, and try to get her out of the house for a while.

maybe some drawing classes, or pottery, she likes that kind of stuff.

[Holyman83]

Well she could also be a hard core gamer, how ever at that age I doubt it. What I would recommend is not to cut her off all the way but tone it down. Tell her she can only play like 2 hours a day, all let the time that she does not use rollover for about a week. That way she wont be worried about losing time (that has not already been take). IF she does end up being a gamer when she is about 15 or so try not to limit her gaming, if you think she is playing to much tell her. At 15 it is time for her to start learning how to manage her gaming and reasonabilites. Other wise she might end up dropping out of college via game addition (I have seen this happen twice)
Note: the gaming background of the two is unknown

thanks, I owe you one, and our mother is already informed.

She (the little sister) says It's because she 'has nothing else to do'

hehe that is the same reason I'm a gamer

[Dr. Doog]

get her something else to do, stat. I committed a felony because I had nothing better to do.

It's all good, though. The guys don't care.

[gen200]

thanks for the help, Holyman83, I really appreciate it.

get her something else to do, stat. I committed a felony because I had nothing better to do.

I am getting her something to do,

[FerretParade]

Don't let her end up like me! I play Eve Online like 8 hours a day lol! MAkes me so lazy at everything else.

[osprey]

RPGs are the worst kind of game for this, since they are quest-based, and you can pick up many quests at a time and then feel the need to finish them all. Even hardcore gamers (like myself in fact) for the most part know when to take breaks. The people who don't and who don't care can be referred to as vegetables. She definitely needs to get out and do something, because games like this can actually be hazardous to one's health.

That's why I don't play Ultima, WOW, Eve and games like that. I've had Guild Wars for a month and I'm only Level 3 (that's low for those who don't know) because I take it in moderation. Games like that can be fun, and I wouldn't suggest stopping play altogether because games can have benefits like improving one's senses and reaction times, but your sister definitely has to take it in moderation.

[Liberal Cynic]

Osprey makes a very good point. One many people should use. I would like to add on to it though. One thing a hardcore gamer(I myself a former but no longer) always had to get priorities straight. If you have 3 weeks worth of homework sitting in the corner, you need to do that before ever playing the game. Think for every hour you study, is another hour you get to play, same for other constructive activities.

[Rooster]

I wasn't allowed a console when I was little. But then the Megadrive 2 came out and I got one.

Unfortuatly you can't explain the long term to kids that young. You can't sit down with them and say "Look, if all you do is this then you're going to be an idiot at aged 20"

My advice, "sabotage" the game...It'll hurt, but it's best.

[Burning Sheep Productions]

Yeah, I was thinking along the lines of have the computer "break" so as to force her off it and be able to see what she's missed being able to do.

[Gizensha]

I don't see what the problem is here.

Someone doing something they enjoy doing because of lack of interest in doing other activities, if it was someone being obsessed by a sport to exclusion of all else, society wouldn't see a problem with it either.

Additionally, with MMORPGs (loathe as I am to admit this, considering they are really, really sucky sorts of games), there is a definite element of human interaction involved.

[Liberal Cynic]

I don't see what the problem is here.

Someone doing something they enjoy doing because of lack of interest in doing other activities, if it was someone being obsessed by a sport to exclusion of all else, society wouldn't see a problem with it either.

Additionally, with MMORPGs (loathe as I am to admit this, considering they are really, really sucky sorts of games), there is a definite element of human interaction involved.

I do agree to a point. Most gamer's origions involve lack of human interaction because lack of conformity. But extensive periods doing something that expends so little energy and in fact rips one's sanity out of reality and into a fantasy world can be said to be destructive, when they tell us to always read a book, which does the same thing, but expand vocabulary and may be informative. I believe it is alright to let one play a game to ones content, if they have met all other obligations and duties. Because it is their choice not to enroll in activities once given the oppertunity. " We can only show them the doors, they choose the one they walk through"

[Gizensha]

I don't see what the problem is here.

Someone doing something they enjoy doing because of lack of interest in doing other activities, if it was someone being obsessed by a sport to exclusion of all else, society wouldn't see a problem with it either.

Additionally, with MMORPGs (loathe as I am to admit this, considering they are really, really sucky sorts of games), there is a definite element of human interaction involved.

I do agree to a point. Most gamer's origions involve lack of human interaction because lack of conformity. But extensive periods doing something that expends so little energy and in fact rips one's sanity out of reality and into a fantasy world can be said to be destructive, when they tell us to always read a book, which does the same thing, but expand vocabulary and may be informative. I believe it is alright to let one play a game to ones content, if they have met all other obligations and duties. Because it is their choice not to enroll in activities once given the oppertunity. " We can only show them the doors, they choose the one they walk through"

Gaming does not 'rip one's sanity out of reality and into a fantasy world', any more than anything else. And unless someone has mental problems (and no, not having a fully developed mind does not count as a mental problem in this case) already, this just does not happen. Additionally, gaming is just as wholesome an activity as engaging in any other media, even if it's not as developed as an artform as every other media, simply because it is younger than them all.

Plus, as I already stated, MMORPGs (and any other online activity which involves people, of which MMORPGs are probably the simplest form of 'virtual community') involve human contact. Not in the traditional sense of human contact, but it's better to engage in a form of human contact you're more comfortable with than one you feel you have to hide behind a facade within.

The only thing about this situation that I'm not too comfortable with is a child under 13 years of age being online at all without adult supervision o_o

[Dr. Doog]

you know, there's a really non-addictive kid-designed game at castleinfinity.org...