The familiar cha-chk-chk of Jose's online poker tournament echoes in the living room. His eyes never left the screen for hours to a point where his eyes would become strained and his fingers would become numb from clicking that mouse all day long. My father is a poker champion; he never did like losing or being taunted in the game room. If he lost, he would curse under his breath, as if it could change anything. He could call out any bluffs and always thought two steps ahead of everyone else.

His gaming addiction might be hereditary...just maybe, but my gaming addiction might have to be worse.

My addiction stemmed from playing online multiplayer games (MMORPGs). It all started when I was ten years old, when my distant cousin Alyssa introduced me to Club Penguin. Out of curiosity, I asked, "Is that an actual club?" She remarked caustically, "No, silly, it's an online game. You should try it." And I did. I lost sleep, I lost my appetite, I lost myself. I wasted so much time "role-playing" that my grades started to drop and I was not living a healthy lifestyle. All I could ever think about was designing my igloo and dressing up my penguin, earn coins from playing mini games and going on secret missions.

Games like these have affected my perceptions of reality and that needed to change. It took some time but then I got back to where I was, in that mental state of feeling like I was being brainwashed into playing for hours. And to top it all, I had convinced my parents to get me an annual membership, as well as buy the game’s merchandise. Imagine a shelf full of stuffed animals! My little sister thought I was going crazy with this unhealthy obsession for online gaming.

Disney's Toontown had to be the most adventurous, most addicting game I have ever played. Once you started, you could not stop. I could hear the theme song play in my head even when I was not playing the game. It was like it had a mind of its own. The scary part is that I still remember everything, every single minute detail of the game. I could take care of these pets called "doodles." And if they did not receive any attention or care that they needed, they would die. I had to painstakingly bury them and buy new ones.

Online gaming, in a way, teaches us about life, that online gaming becomes as a means of escape from reality.

If we become too immersed in online gaming, we might lose ourselves and fail to see or experience the real world. If I were given the choice to live in that world or this world, I would indubitably pick this one. At least I am making an actual difference in society. Never again will I develop such bittersweet addiction for online gaming. So the next time you think about getting a membership or using your credit card to earn more coins in an online game, think again. Just ask Jose, he’s an expert in that field.