DR. WALLACE: I’m totally smitten by the online game “Among Us” and I play it with my friends each and every chance I get! Sometimes, if we don’t have much else to do, we’ll end up playing it all weekend long. The hours just fly by when we’re totally into a fun version of the game.
We’ve even played right through dinner and other meals several times because we are so caught up in the game action. It’s only when we finally stop playing that we realize how much time has gone by and how hungry we are! Does my type of attention to this wonderful online game mean I’m addicted to it? — Love Among Us, via email
LOVE AMONG US: The key to most things in life is balance and moderation. Based upon your letter, I would say that you are not “moderately” playing this particular game. The term “internet addiction” is often thrown around in various ways since it is an umbrella term that refers to the compulsive need to spend a great deal of time on the internet.
There is a great variance of current medical opinion regarding internet addiction and whether it actually should exist as a mental disorder in its own right, but it is not actually listed in the mental health professional’s handbook. The American Psychological Association, however, has formerly recognized internet addiction as a disorder. Therefore, this issue is indeed real, or very close to it, depending upon which agency or organization one may consult.
My advice is to immediately seek to get yourself in control of your time spent enjoying this activity. You should not be missing meals, for example. The key is to set up parameters before you start! Agree with your friends that you will play the game for a maximum of perhaps two hours and then go do some other activity. Set a timer, and when the two hours are up, have the discipline to stop the game in progress and go do something else. This way, you’ll remain in moderation and overall balance. It may be hard to walk away at the moment the alarm sounds, but you’ll soon find that’s the right answer and you can enjoy going back for another session on another day when everyone’s schedules permit.
Online multiplayer social games can be extremely addicting, so monitor your time and compulsions to participate very, very closely. If you find it quite hard or even nearly impossible to stick to your preplanned parameters, then I would suggest contacting a medical professional to assist you in evaluating your own personal situation at that point.
DO SCHOOL UNIFORMS REDUCE DIFFERENCES?
DR. WALLACE: I just moved to a new school district, and this is the first year I have to wear a school uniform. I will readily admit that I’m not a fan of looking like everyone else. Why do schools have uniforms and insist that every student dress like everyone else?
Being forced to wear a uniform each and every day makes me feel like I’m in the military or something. I’d prefer to be able to show my own sense of fashion and to demonstrate to the world my own individual style. That’s not asking too much, is it? — Don’t like school uniforms, via email
DON’T LIKE SCHOOL UNIFORMS: There are many reasons that schools prefer or even mandate that school uniforms are to be worn by all students whenever they are on campus and attending classes together in person.
Some schools and school districts feel uniforms help boost the reputation of the school or district itself. Some feel that the majority of children take pride in wearing school uniforms since it creates a sense of school loyalty and belonging. Some schools have uniforms because it’s the most effective way to eliminate social and economic differences between the students, and therefore puts each student in an equal position to focus on learning and academic advancement, which, after all, is the main purpose schools exist in society.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected] To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
