How has your runescape addiction effected you

Hi All,

Obviously not everyone on this website is or has been addicted to runescape. But for those of you that have at some point, do you think it has effected your social skills at all?

I started Runescape when I was around 10, I was instantly hooked and amazed by it, I played it non-stop for around 4-5 years pretty much as soon as I finished school and all weekend. I had friends and stuff at school, but I didn't tend to meet them outside of school at all I was a hermit and spent all my time inside.

When I turned 15/16 I started to go out more and socialise, but I found this kind of hard and I didn't find conversation easy. Now I can't work out if this is because I'm a generally shy person, or if because a huge amount of my life was spent doing something completely different to others (playing a virtual game and my form of socialising was typing)

Has anybody else had a similar experience?

 

Throughout high school I became highly introverted due to excess time spent on Runescape and other games in favor of going out. This left me with a small, tight-knit social circle and a lack of experience in parties, with chicks etc. Since then I've somewhat made a large change around:
Multiple GFs, Lifting, haircut, clothes, making friends and all that

I'm still a little bit shy but I'm pushing through it, I'm a completely different person to a year ago. It did suck playing catch-up somewhat however, still am to some degree.

Conversation being difficult for you is likely due to a bit of both. One good thing to do is to strike up with conversation with randoms - you don't need to cold approach like 10 chicks or any shit like that, just talk to the dude/girl next to you if you're waiting in a line or something similar. In practicing conversation, although it seems pointless, it hones your skills and helps you out slowly.

 

Yeah I forgot to add my life has completely changed now, I play rs once a week if that, been a party animal for the past 3 years and go to the gym 4/5 times a week, I am a lot more confident but I still have a lack of communication skills. I mean, it might just be me as a person - but I feel like runescape has effected it to some degree, as for many years I was living in a virtual game basically.

I'm not shy around my group of friends at all, infact they would probably consider me to be loud and confident.

But with new people, I find it almost impossible to make conversation, where as other people find it easy! It could have absolutely nothing to do with runescape, probably just my personal experience!

 

I honestly believe RuneScape contributed to my introvertedness. When I started having emotional problems back in 8th grade, I started to play RS again. Finding people to talk to was easier online than in real life. I had a really hard time in general around the time I started high school. Now, I find it hard to talk to people I don't know. Sometimes in public, I'll want to comment on someone's shirt or hair etc., but am too afraid; the littlest things. Just the other day, a guy with a walker dropped his bag and I asked if he wanted help because he started to bend over but couldn't reach it and my heart was pounding out of my chest even minutes later.

The only people I talk to now are two friends and my family (and my bro's friends when they visit from college). For years, I never really spoke to anyone. Not even my family. My dad travels for work, and my relationship with my mom has progressively gotten worse and more tense. Back in sophomore year, I hardly spoke to my parents. Everyone in my household was so preoccupied with whatever and I was ignored. I maybe spoke 10 words a day in sophomore year, not exaggerating.

I found a home in the online world of RuneScape which made everything seem less appealing in my social life. I even had more emotional strain due to RuneScape (from the friends I had made). RuneScape is a negative thing in my life, but recently I've been cutting back on playing which feels great but it also stresses me out because I have monthly goals. I've decided to let those goals not be so important so I can feel better about hanging out with the people I care about irl.

College is a major thing I both am and am not looking forward to. I will be totally disconnected from the online world for a bit as I expect to be busy getting settled in. But at the same time, I'm starting a new part of life that I should fully experience. Making friends is gonna be a tough one probably.

I guess I'll see where it takes me now that RuneScape has hindered me.

 

See that's very close to the way it's made me feel, just not as extreme. I have a good relationship with my mum but I don't speak to my dad at all, even though he's my dad I literally have nothing to talk about with him! I think being so in-grossed in an online game for years does take it's toll when it comes to being sociable outside of the game.

Just to let you know for your own personal assurance, I get very panicky when it comes to speaking with people I don't know aswell, about the smallest of things.

I hope college goes well for you, and I'm sure you'll get better with time! I have definitely seen an improvement from when I first quit!

 

I used to play when I was a kid. 04-07ish quit for some reason. Started back in early 2012, around when I joined sythe. I was fresh out of a serious breakup and getting clean so O embraced video games a little too hard, realized it seriously impacted my social life and happiness I dropped it like a bad habit. EOC came right about the time I quit so that helped out as well. Doing a hell of a lot better these days.

 

I managed to keep a decent balance between gaming and the social aspects of my life throughout my teenage years.

It's made me intollerant of long gaming sessions. I get easily bored after 30mins of gaming now which is a shame I guess. Maybe i'm growing up, maybe I just can't hack 12 hour grind fests.

I spend literally 1-2 hours a week gaming. My free nights are spent either going to gigs or out drinking with friends. I work full time so that keeps me busy. Growing up is hard work.

I'm an odd individual, I don't know if spending alot of time on an online realm has affected that at all.

 

Destroying people Pk and gain real money!

 

What? lol

 

That's good then man. I'm prone to addiction, I've been fully addicted to runescape, modern warfare 2 and gambling at different stages in my life!

I do have a social life now, but I'm talking about 5-6 years ago I had no social life at all!

 

Because of Runescape i lost my leg...

Damm you Jagex!