Flexibility in writing columns
I was trying to write my next column for The Diamondback, which comes out on Friday, on the subject of gaming addiction (an idea I already fleshed out in a previous blog entry). But it just didn’t make the transition to a column well. At all. Basically, I came off sounding like I was whining about videogame addiction and how the school should be doing more to fight it, which doesn’t make much sense, because they probably have better things to be doing. Besides, the whole thing was very awkward. It sort of gave the impression that I have videogame addiction (which I don’t, or at least, haven’t had since I quit WoW a year and a half ago). Who else besides a videogame addict would be writing about videogame addiction, right? The whole thing was just getting too nerdy and wouldn’t appeal to a wide audience.
Well, part of being a columnist is knowing when to quit. Sometimes an idea sounds good on paper (errr, make that in the mind), but it’s bad on paper. This is probably the sixth time in a year that I’ve ended up trashing a half-completed column. Sometimes it’s just not working, and it’s best to try something else. So I wrote my column about a travesty of an on-campus sponsored party instead, and I must say, this column is a lot better. I do my best writing when I’m righteously indignant. Anyway, you’ll be able to read it when it’s published on Friday in the paper.
Just for posterity’s sake I’m including the aborted column that I tried to write about videogame addiction. At least this way it won’t rot on my hard drive. Warning, the column cuts out in mid-swing, right when I realized it was unsalvageable. And it’s unedited. See it below the fold:
You probably know at least one student who has failed out of school. Oftentimes it is because of the usual reasons: they didn’t go to classes or they didn’t bother with homework. Most of the time these people simply lack the motivation to earn a college degree, and Maryland probably just isn’t the right place for them.
But some people who fail out are college material, and wouldn’t have failed out if not for one, largely fixable, problem. Yes, I’m talking about videogame addiction. Whether it’s staying up all night to raid Molten Core with the guildmates in World of Warcraft, or trying for that illusive royal flush in online poker, too many students are addicted to videogames.
Let me clear up something first. Videogame addiction is an addiction in the true sense of the word, just like being addicted to drugs, alcohol, or gambling. It has all the hallmarks of addiction: a psychological urge to engage in the behavior, a release of chemicals in the brain that trigger satisfaction upon indulging in the behavior, and symptoms of withdrawal when the addict has gone too long since last indulging in the behavior. The worst part of an addiction, that people will continue said behaviors even when they are demonstrably harmful (like failing classes), is also present.
So what can be done? Ideally the videogame addicts will realize their problem and cure themselves. Of course, anyone who knows a smoker who’s tried to quit knows that it’s not quite so easy. And there isn’t exactly a videogame patch either (although try taping a Nintendo DS to your arm, and who knows).
It takes outside help. The Health Center already deals with helping students quit smoking; why not help with another affliction that hurts students? If nothing else, there should at least be a support group. Those aren’t too expensive to run.
