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That has given me a lot to think about. Ever since I started playing WoW, I've very much developed the kind of addiction you described. Granted, I actually did enjoy the WotLK expansion, but I only played Cataclysm for the PvE rankings. It didn't help at all that I was at the top of performance charts and meters in my guild, other guilds, and sometimes even worldwide (that's when the real obsession begins). Since then, I've put myself through misery in games like Runescape and Osu for the sole purpose of gaining ranks and feeding my ego. Granted, I did enjoy doing quests in Runescape, but I've finished them all and I'm kinda dreading the thought of putting hundreds of hours into grinding xp for ranks. Osu is pretty fun to play on certain beatmaps, but it's a ton of work to get decent at it and it's easy to fall into bad habits that can kill the game for you. I've also put a lot more strain on my tapping hand than I should have. I loved playing Osu at first, but it's been a couple years now and it feels more like I'm in it for the fame than for the fun. The one thing about playing games like these is that they make me feel like I'm actually good at something. I was raised in a low-income family, and because my parents were always away at work and I had too many responsibilities taking care of my siblings, doing chores, and never having a regular allowance to spend, I never had the chance to pick up a more productive hobby. A small handful of video games and basic cable were all I had for the longest time. As much as I loved playing enjoyable games that weren't competitive, I still felt like I was lacking something. With online games, I loved the idea of being acknowledged for my skills as a gamer because it gave me a certain sense of pride. Considering how average I am in everything else, this was refreshing in a way. Sadly, however, there are too many downsides to this. The biggest one is that even if I do feel accomplished, I'm still not happy. I get a brief moment of satisfaction whenever someone acknowledges my prowess, but it doesn't last long. Having to put time into something I don't like has made it more difficult for me to cope with depression. I can also get pretty anxious when I'm coming close to a major achievement that I could mess up on. Things like keeping my hardcore status (not dying) on Runescape during a tough boss fight or holding out for a full combo on Osu are pretty nerve-wracking. And because it takes up so much time, I have difficulty putting in the time I need to get my life together (losing weight, finding a job, preparing for college, etc), and that just drives me even further into depression. Pulling myself out of online games would free up a lot of my time, which I could spend doing things I actually enjoy. Thanks for posting this. Reading your article and typing about my experience helped me realize how much of a hole I've dug myself into with online games. I don't know if it'll last long (it probably will), but right now I'm convinced that I shouldn't be playing these anymore.