FarmVille Addictions

Are you addicted to FarmVille? There are a reported 11 million daily users of the popular Facebook game as of August and it continues to grow. As more and more people get sucked into the world of virtual farming, it begs the question of how much is too much?

Some symptoms of a video game addiction include becoming very concerned with the game, disrupting sleep patterns to play, and/or causing performance problems at work or school. In some cases these symptoms can be seen in FarmVille players.

As for being concerned with the game, there are countless discussions held between players of the game about strategies for what to plant, what buildings, trees, and animals are best, and how to decorate the farms. While this is mostly a harmless and amusing conversation it can be taken too far.

Sleep disruptions are another issue associated with FarmVille, one example can be found in the Facebook group Overheard at IU where the following conversation is posted:

Guy #1: Yeah I'm trying to be the best farmer ever. I set my alarm for 3:00 AM to harvest.
Guy #2: Yeah man, they'll [wither] and die if you don't get them

While this was likely a joking comment, there are undoubtedly individuals who truly set alarms to wake themselves to harvest their virtual crops. When a game begins to disrupt someone's normal sleep patterns, it has become an addiction and a change is needed.

Problems at school or work, caused by a game indicate an addiction as well. Finding oneself debating whether to do their homework or plant soybeans is one example. Arriving late to appointments because you were harvesting your crops is also a condition which needs correcting.

In many cases it is possible to self-adjust and return to playing the game as a fun pastime instead of a dominating aspect of life. For additional help however, Online Gamers Anonymous is a non-profit which works to help game addicts to recover using a similar program to Alcoholics Anonymous. FarmVille can certainly be enjoyed in a fun and safe manner without causing symptoms of video game addiction, but if it is taken too far it is necessary to realize that a problem exists and seek help if necessary.

Works Cited

"11 Million Facebook Users Flock to Virtual Farming Daily." Social Media News and Web Tips - Mashable - The Social Media Guide. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. .

"Overheard at IU...... | Facebook." Welcome to Facebook! | Facebook. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. .

"Video game addiction -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. .