Bastion of English journalism, The Sun newspaper has a feature today on women who have lost their men to online games, and WoW is the central theme. Support group The WoW Widows claim that WoW and other online games are responsible for the break up of hundreds of couples, and that Relate have started training counsellors to deal with online gaming addiction.
“It feels like he is two-timing me… only with a computer”
The article follows the stories of three couples, but it’s the same deal with all of them; wife wants more time from hubby, hubby likes gaming. In all 3 cases, the women have learned to deal with their partners’ gaming habits. The usual excuses come out, like
“At least by staying in I’m helping us to save some money. If I’m spending all night on the computer it’s not like I can spend all our money in the pub.”. But should these guys get off their backsides and spend more time with their neglected partners, or are they justified in playing a few hours a night as long as they’ve done their fair share of house work?
A good, healthy relationship revolves around accepting the other person’s wants and needs, but also being willing to meet halfway. Obviously a WoW Widow has accepted her spouse’s desire to play, and that can be okay. However, there needs to be a balance in life. If the wife says on a daily basis “Could you spend more time with me,” and the guy’s says “No, raiding,” there is a problem.
Relationships are about personal interaction. Without it, they can suffer and wilt. In the cases above, it would seem to be alienation by addiction, and that’s where someone needs to step in and help.