Hmmmm…while I’m a firm believer that people can become addicted to pretty much anything, I’m having a hard time believing this story, where a couple in Reno, NV, are saying their Internet and online gaming addiction caused them to starve and otherwise horribly neglect – c’mon, let’s call it what it is: abuse – their very young children.
Viloria said the Reno couple were too distracted by online video games, mainly the fantasy role-playing “Dungeons & Dragons” series, to give their children proper care. “They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games,” Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Are we really going to say that kind of neglect stems from their video game use? They couldn’t tear themselves away long enough to feed or wash two babies? Or is it more likely that they wouldn’t have been feeding or washing them anyway? Either way, perhaps they’ll be put somewhere where the food won’t be delivered because the kitchen staff is playing Tetris. Oh, and where there are a lot of cats on the floor above. (Trust me.)
As an aside, what the heck is the prosecutor talking about when she refers to the online “Dungeons & Dragons” series? Is talking about the D&D Stormreach MMO? If so, I’m amazed there are enough players for there to be addicts. :|