WOW: A Virtual Escape from Reality

 

World of Warcraft has contributed to an entirely new subculture in human society. It is evident that we are in an age where physical proximity is no longer needed for people to interact with each other and build relationships. People who play World of Warcraft or "gamers" ,as they are called, live and interact in a world that is different from our own and in many ways non-existent. Obviously something in the World of Warcraft game appeals to people. It is not unheard of people to spend twenty hours or more a week playing World of Warcraft, which introduces a interesting set of questions. Is it possible to build lasting relationships with people you only interact with online? Is it possible to play World of Warcraft and still be able to interact normally with people in our physical realm? What about World of Warcraft makes people prefer to play the game than to face their own realities in the here and now. In order to answer these questions I plan to tap into a new subculture in the Hopkins and internet community. I will interact with those at different levels of the World of Warcraft community by opening an account myself. I will attempt to see why people so freely adopt a world that they know is not real. During my quest for answers and as I dwelve deeper into the community I will also reflect on my own journey.