Death by Internet

Hello fellow ZUer's. I was watching the news last night and I noticed a story on how a kid in China was supposedly "addicted" to the internet, and how he played games for hours on end; then killed himself by jumping off a building. Now this may seem crazy but in his suicide note, he stated that he wishes to leave this world and step into the world of the games that he plays and knows all too well. They had footage of him riding on the elevator to his death and everything. I haven't found a link to the story yet, but I was wondering if anybody else had heard or seen about this. I'm sure it is true, but do video games and the internet really drive you to th epoint of this extreme, death? I like to get on the internet a lot, but it seems the word addicted is a little strong.

-NC

Well, it would appear that for some people, yes, video games and the interenet can drive you to the point of this extreme. Albeit, I would guess, very few people, but people nonetheless.

Internet provides an oppotunity to escape from what life may be dealing you at any specific time.
The same way that alcoholics and drug addicts resort to the intoxicants to escape and forget miseries and responsibilities, likewise the internet has the same potential. It, by itself, is not the cause - depression will have to be present I believe, but it can be a stimulant.

In fact, I see very similar patterns in my own life. Whenever I have many strict deadlines or emotional stress, I can play games like tetris for hours, pushing whatever it is that needs to be faced, behind my back. I guess not everyone can wrench themselves away from that illusionary comfort zone.

It is very easy to get addicted to the internet. At home, my parents used to impose extremely strict rules on who can go online and for how long, so, whenever they went away I stay for as long as humanly possible. However, now that I have my own connection, the thirst isn't there any more.

(Loved the thread title by the way xD )

Why does it have to be the internet? Couldn't someone have a "Death by Guitar" or "Death by Chocolate"? You can blame it on whatever you want. It's a deeper problem, really. Perhaps that kid had no friends because he spent all his time on his computer.

In fact, I think you can get addicted to almost anything, if you love it enough and spend enough time on/with it.

^ nice way of offending all others that may have experienced some episodes of such dire situations due to psychological problems and so on.

Anyway, Internet might have an influence, regardless of how little it can be. I've been to this online message board a long, long time ago, and it has a section where people who are bipolar can express how they feel and what they are doing at that point in time, to the public. Of course, outside it stated clearly: "Trigger Topic". My guess is that the kid was depressed, went online trying to seek help or ones that have similar experiences as he has, saw the trigger topics or the such, couldn't take it anymore and ended his own life.

As for games, no. There have been no studies that showed clearly about how games can influence a person negatively.

Originally Posted by Lone Wolf

As for games, no. There have been no studies that showed clearly about how games can influence a person negatively.

Not completely true, people DO get voilent by games especially very young children or people with mental problems. Everyone that playes a game, no matter what genre, is affected, either in a good or bad way. And people HAVE been murderd becouse of games.

But after all, this is extremely rare, and when you think about how many that play games and how few get extremely effected, then you cant for example ban games just for that.

Originally Posted by Ize

That chinese kid is F%K!N' stupid that's all.
I just really wish there was a hell, so that morons like him could rot for eternity.
If I lived in china I would visit his grave...and spit on it.

I only play games when I'm relaxed, or when I'm not sad or mad. When I feel blue and stuff, I talk to people and write a lot. That boy is just stupid.

For the first thing you use the word "is" the word that should be used is "was"

And for the second, think about what your talking about! You have no idea what the conditions of this boy was, he might have serius mental problems for example or maybe he was tortured in his family or maybe he did it all by completely other reasons but that someone else wrote this letter so that noone would expect him to be the reason of the boys death(yeah, I know its just too far-fetched, but its still possible). And why spit on the grave? That was one of the most stupid post I have ever seen, show some respect! This boy is dead!

And mods, yes I know Im kinda stepping over the sacred line of rules, but I just couldnt stand it.

I remember once i heard of this guy near chinda or japan killed a guy just because he stole an item from him in a MMORPG, or maybe it was the guy wouldnt sell the item the guy wanted so he found him and killed him.

either way its a messed up world.

Originally Posted by Anarand

Not completely true, people DO get voilent by games especially very young children or people with mental problems. Everyone that playes a game, no matter what genre, is affected, either in a good or bad way. And people HAVE been murderd becouse of games.

But after all, this is extremely rare, and when you think about how many that play games and how few get extremely effected, then you cant for example ban games just for that.

No. You have already supported what I've said by stating "especially very young children or people with mental problems". In this case, the games are not the problems. For the young teens getting aggressive due to violent games, the fault lies within the parents, not the game. For the people with psychological problems, the fault lies with their mental illnesses, not the games. Both instances do not provide sufficient arguments that point out how games can make a young teen to play it in the first place and become violent, or make a person to become crazy while playing it.

In the end, I shall repeat - no study has ever shown that a video game can have an impact on a person.

For all we know, the person at fault has something wrong with him or her already and games do not trigger that problem in the first place.

Originally Posted by Lone Wolf

No. You have already supported what I've said by stating "especially very young children or people with mental problems". In this case, the games are not the problems. For the young teens getting aggressive due to violent games, the fault lies within the parents, not the game. For the people with psychological problems, the fault lies with their mental illnesses, not the games. Both instances do not provide sufficient arguments that point out how games can make a young teen to play it in the first place and become violent, or make a person to become crazy while playing it.

In the end, I shall repeat - no study has ever shown that a video game can have an impact on a person.

For all we know, the person at fault has something wrong with him or her already and games do not trigger that problem in the first place.

Well, you are correct, but games might work as a "start button" for extreme acts-?
Even though it might not be the main reason it still sometimes playes a role.

As someone else said. I think the Internet, games, sports or any hobby for that matter can addict someone if they just love it enough. Im a Ski racer, I dive head first down icy slopes at 90-100 mph. Now that can be interpreted as idiotic or stupid. But I am addicted to speed and racing so I do whatever it takes to fill that need. I just think that person was a little deranged so he took it to the extreme. But the fact is peoples are ready to do many things to furfill their desires. He just took it to another level.

It's a matter of what you make your reality. If MMOs are your reality, then the real world becomes far less than secondary.
I mean... thinking the virtual world is the afterlife? Come on... that's REALLY switching realities there.

^ nice way of offending all others that may have experienced some episodes of such dire situations due to psychological problems and so on.

Well, that was the idea.

And why spit on the grave? That was one of the most stupid post I have ever seen, show some respect!

I know it was stupid, don't really care though, I hate those guys, I mean, think that the game world is heaven? He was a freak allright, let's face it, it was better than letting him go outside and kill a person expecting to earn exp. points, at least he's not loose anymore.

This boy is dead!

So?

And mods, yes I know Im kinda stepping over the sacred line of rules, but I just couldnt stand it.

Well, really, I was stepping over the sacred line there too, for a moment I thought the mods would kick my butt.

I think it might hit you a little more if it was someone close to you. In any case he could have been helped in some way. Useless deaths and suicide is in no way acceptable if can be prevented. In this one the boy could have been helped. With your thinking every "Freak" should go outside and jump off a building and that would make a better world... Thats disgusting.

You know, Ize....I understand that what the kid did was sort of stupid. (I woudn't throw myself off a biulding and think i'll enter Hyrule or Mario in a flying cape would save me) But at least show some respect for him.

This boy is dead, no longer will his family ever see his face, because he is dead. I don't know him, nor do i know the circumstances of why he killed himself. (The internet itself may not have been the reason. He could have had family/finanical/school problems) But i'm not about to call this boy a freak and say that he should rot in hell.

From what i can tell, he wanted to leave this world, he was sick of it. Sure, he might have been a little crazy, thinking he would enter the videogaming world, but still, why go calling him a freak that should rot in hell?

Imagine what his family is thinking now? They're not going to see this kid anymore! What if he were a close friend of yours? If he were a close friend of mine, i would feel crushed.

Originally Posted by Ize

I know it was stupid, don't really care though, I hate those guys, I mean, think that the game world is heaven? He was a freak allright, let's face it, it was better than letting him go outside and kill a person expecting to earn exp. points, at least he's not loose anymore.

You are .. painfully arrogant. To the point of it being sickening.
You might be leading a healthy happy life, with no abuse to speak of or major problems - be humbly thankful. That may not br the case with everyone.

A few years ago, I was always happy and was really mystefied and perhaps even slightly disgusted when an acquaintance of mine attempted to commit suicide. "depression" as a term and condition was just .. not imagineable enough for me. It was arrogant of me. Following that, I, too, slipped into bouts of depression and truly understood how much of a dillemma a person who has the condition is in. It really hit me how cruel I have been to even try to begin to judge that person.
So .. yeah..
A little humility can and will serve you well in everything. That's all I have to say.

All I can really say is that the line between reality and fantasy is getting thinner as we speak. The fact that video games are getting further and further ingrained in our lives isn't helping either.
I had a bout with depression before. When your in that state of mind, the world gets distorted. It's like being trapped in the darkest reaches of your brain while you unconciously scramble for a door out. To some people the door is drinking or drugs, and to others its videogames. But when you close the door; take away the drugs or whatever you use to curb the depression, then you hit rock bottom. I think the real issue here is that our world is so crappy that people are using more and more things (like video games) to escape it. And as I said, when the last door closes, a tenth-story swan dive doesn't seem so bad.

And I agree with Anime Queen; don't judge. Singleminded points of view are part of the reason people are throwing themselves off of buildings.

One day at college, I was waiting for my class to start and there was a table in the hallway with a copy of the Financial Times on it. Bored out of my skull, I decided to give it a read. The first thing that caught my eye was an