Digital+Nation

We are researching online gaming and the virtual world and the effects it has on young people when they become addicted to it.
 * Overview**

My experience with Virtual worlds is bad, I bought a ps3 and the new call of duty last semester. I connected the system to the internet and started playing. The game was dope but i didn't realize how long i had been playing for, i looked at the clock and noticed i had been playing for like 8 hours. This was terrible i had a test in two hours and hadn't slept or studied at all. The end - Dan
 * Personal Experience**

In my experience with virtual worlds i used to play a lot of online poker. So much so that i would lose count of how much money i was spending and mostly, losing. Eventually i lost too much to pay for text books and eventually i had to stop playing and try to save up my money. the end - Charles

I used to belong to a hip hop forum and used to comment all the time on the posts with all the people on the site. We all liked the same types of artists and music, so much so that we became friends within the website. A lot of the kids that I talked with on the forum, ended up adding me on sites like facebook and to this day we still talk a lot within those sites as if we've been friends for years. Even though i've never met any of them in my life. - The end - Ryan

- What is the difference in the percentage of men to women in online role-playing games? - How much time does a person need to spend playing video games to be considered an addict? - Whats the appeal to children and living in a virtual world?
 * Research Questions**

- Online Gaming - Virtual Worlds - MMO (Mass Multiplayer Online)
 * Keyword Search**

Taylor, T.L. (2003). Multiple pleasures. //Convergence: The international journal of research into new media technologies.// 9(1), 21-46. - This article talks about the issue of gender and computer games by looking at the growing population of women in massive multiplayer online role-playing games. It explores what are traditionally seen as male dominated spaces and seeks to understand the variety of reasons that women want to play.
 * Database Search**

Ng, B.D. & Wiemer-Hastings. (2005).Addiction to the internet and online gaming. //Cyber psychology & behavior//. 8(2). 110-113. - As computer and Internet use becomes a staple of everyday life, the potential for over use is introduced, which may lead to addiction. Research on Internet addiction has shown that users can become addicted to it.

Marsh, J. (2010). Young children's play in online virtual worlds. //Journal of early childhood research//. 8(1) 23-39 - Explores the tensions surrounding the relationships between play and technology and relate it to similar discourses concerning the concepts of "real" and "virtual".

- Survey We'll create a survey that asks students about their online gaming habits. Asking what types of games they are playing, how often they are playing and why they enjoy playing.
 * Research Methodology**

Charles Nicolai Ryan Pierce Dan Harmon