Not far from fantasy

LEWISPORTE On Oct. 13 a 15-year-old boy named Brandon Crisp ran away from his home in Barrie, Ontario.

What is the suspected reason this boy ran away?

His parents think it was because they took away his Xbox.

This may seen ridiculous to some people, but in todays society kids are so advanced with the ever changing technology that they may become absorbed into the world of make believe.

Brandon is reported to have skipped school to go gaming and would stay up until the wee hours of the morning playing his games. The game in question is the Xbox online war game Call of Duty 4 and it became an obsession for Brandon over 18 months.

So can an obsessed Xbox player be born in Newfoundland? Or maybe Lewisporte? They certainty can.

Registered psychologist and guidance councilor for Lewisporte Collegiate and Greenwood Academy, Angie Wilmott said she thinks there are cases of excessive use of video and online games in all communities and it is a widespread problem that will continue to make headlines.

There are individuals in our communities who stay up all night playing games or gambling online, commented Ms. Wilmott in an email interview. Obviously, this impacts everything else in their lives and causes many problems in the present and for their future- academically, socially, financially, emotionally, etc. While youre off living a fantasy, your real life begins to crumble.

The boys father had said to the Globe and Mail that this game became his sons identity and he didnt realize how in-depth this issue was until he took it away, Its the same as cutting off his legs, Mr. Crisp was quoted saying.

Ms. Wilmott said that when you look at someone and their identity it is a complex picture with many components and we typically see that it is divided up between different components.

When a person becomes obsessed with one thing and it consumes all of their time and energy, the other components suffer, said Ms. Wilmott. The complex person becomes much more one-dimensional and are consumed by an activity that guides you into a virtual reality in which you are pretending to be someone else, who you are becomes confused further.

Ms. Wilmott explained further that if you are consumed by a fantasy life, there is little room for a real one.

When your fantasy life has different rules for behaviour, it can easily confuse your sense of right and wrong, said Ms. Wilmott. This is obvious in the research which showed a high correlation between repeated exposure to violent video games and an increase in aggressive behaviours with no remorse, but rather a sense of pride and accomplishment. I dont think anyone would like to see our community run by the rules of a video game.

Playing video games may seem like a pastime and a way that kids these days spend their days. But in some cases the video game that is being played ends up intertwined with a teenager's sense of self and a larger online community feeds it.

Brandon was said to have only a few really close friends and the online game that he played has become a part of his identity and also a community of friends that he had something in common with.

Video games, especially online games, can be quite solitary activities and for individuals who are withdrawn or shy, it can make them even more reclusive, said Ms. Wilmott. Individuals with low self-esteem, especially if they have been bullied, may be drawn to the sense of power that they get from playing the game. Individuals who feel like they do no fit in their world may be tempted by the allure of being someone else in a virtual world.

Ms. Wilmott said there are important things that parents should do to make sure this problem could be controlled.

Keep the technology in a common area, bedrooms are the place for sleeping not the place for computers video games or televisions, said Ms. Wilmott. Computer use in a common area can be easily regulated with respect to the amount of time and content.

There is very little sense of real time when one is using video games and the computer, set a time limit.

Ms. Wilmott wanted to make clear that it is always better to prevent than deal with it after it has developed.

Let your children know that it is important to create a happy, healthy life and then scheduling their time around a range of activities that reflects a healthy lifestyle, said Ms. Wilmott. Plan family time activities, formal social peer group activities, informal social activities, schedule physical activities, academics and free time.

On Nov. 5 Brandons body was found 3 kilometers from his bike in a wooden area. The investigation is still ongoing.