How many pathetic video gamers do you know?

[funguy2121]

You're like a beacon of light in this hate-thread. (You're not the only one, I just liked what you wrote specifically.) MMO gaming, and other online interactions, can be very social, some people just haven't learned how yet.

This is not a hate thread, though it is the internet so you could be MLK, Ron Jeremy or Bill Gates and there'd still be plenty of people to tell you that they think you're pathetic. Hell, I've been told that I'm pathetic for thinking that the skinheads were a bunch of racists (silly me!) or that anarchy was the belief that there should be no government. It sounds very melodramatic when you claim that you're being hated on. OP wants to help his friend before she alienates everyone in favor of a virtual world that isn't even cool and trippy like the Matrix.

 

[madmatt]

I guess I'm different than most in that I picked up WoW when I had nothing in real life. I was pretty much always a socially inept person, with extreme social anxiety but despite that as a kid still I went to school, played sports, had friends which I saw every day after school but high school changed that. My close friends all went to different schools and because of that (and my social anxiety) it was difficult for me to fit in with new people I hardly knew. I couldn't open up and trust all these new people so soon like everybody else was able to. I tried, I really did but whenever I did people shunned me. Before I knew it I was a kind of social pariah but it got worse - instead of ignoring me they began to mercilessly bully me. It was only a few guys at first but soon the only words anybody ever said to me were insults, I was bashed (sometimes with the teachers watching and not lifting a finger to help), beaten and brought to tears more times than I could count. This went on everyday for two years (start of 9th grade) before my parents finally pulled me out of school. By the end of it I was a mess; I was horribly depressed (had attempted suicide), had zero self confidence, no friends, no interests or hobbies (didn't even really play video games) and was such a nervous, anxiety ridden mess I could barely leave my room.

Then WoW was released, I saw a trailer for it and decided to give it a try. Because of it being online and there being no face to face interaction I found it easy to talk to people, soon I had made a few friends and after about six months I was a changed person. Because of WoW I had some enjoyment in my life, had some interests, I had friends (even if they were online) and most importantly of all I had rebuilt some shaky form of self confidence. After another six months I was confident enough to crawl my way back (it was a damn tough process) to school (a different one of course), I made some real life friends and rebuilt my life.

Skip forward to now and I'm 20 years old, going to University, have a social life and I still play WoW. Yes I sometimes decide to play WoW over going to clubs or bars or some douchebag's party who I don't even know but I wouldn't be going to these types of places even if I didn't play WoW - I'm still a pretty damaged person and find myself feeling like a scared cat with his back arched up whenever I go to these places. But I still see my friends every week and I'm pretty content with my life. Here's a fact for you - WoW saved my life, without it I would have either slit my wrists or be some nervous basement dweller living off a disability cheque.

Yes in some situations where people have addicting personalities and play it, WoW can destroy their lives, but if it wasn't WoW it could have just as easily been cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, sex etc. But for most people it is just a harmless, casual hobby (these people make up a good 90% of WoW's population) and for others (like I used to be) it was the only damn thing they had. Let me tell you something - socializing in WoW is still a shit ton better than sitting in your room all day by yourself and with people as beaten down as I was, getting out and making real life friends is simply not an option. So all these broad and sweeping generalizations you are saying about people spending all their time on video games are pretty offensive to me.

This was genuinely inspiring - good on you! Unfortunately though, gaming can also be used to *avoid* social content - an attempt to fill a social hole that starts off as a place holder activity but in the end replaces social interaction in its entirety. I am not saying online relations aren't "real", but I think they will rarely be as meaningful if you don't meet people IRL. As a former WoW addict I can see that often in people, and for similar reasons - the key is to let it help you, not be a crutch.

As for the original post - your best bet may be to try to wean her off gradually, rather than a traumatic break with an online community. Maybe you could try scheduling time for you to do something with her IRL at the same time every week. She might be more amendable if it is routine, and therefore avoids clashing with her online life as she can plan ahead. Then gradually increase that amount of time IRL and reduce her dependency? Either way, good luck!

 

[LarenzoAOG]

I know a guy who plays Halo: Reach like that, he's bought every item in the armory and spends quite litterally if you believe him, all day playing Halo: Reach. He's not really my friend but he was once the friend of my other friends, they say he's become totally removed from everyone else, the only time he's not playing Halo is when he post his status on Facebook complaining that nobody is hanging out with him.

EDIT: Ok, thats wierd, its not showing up. My original post is invisible for some reason, long story short I have an aquaintance that is a Halo: Reach addict.

 

[Pyro Paul]

*snip*

Have you sat down and told her she has a problem? Or at the least, that you, a friend, has a problem with what she has become? If not, you probably should start there.

Now note, it could very well go awry and she may get very angry with you, which would also clarify that it's indeed an addiction. But it has to be done, she needs to be confronted sooner rather then later.

I hate when people do this...
It is not productive or helpful.

you view the game as a problem, and want to help them deal with it...

Now either that creates confusion in the individual because you're trying to convince them that something that isn't a problem IS a problem, or it will create anger in the person because you will be actively Attacking their choice in how they spend money which questions their capability as an adult.

Regardless of either/or anything that occurs 'Reinforces and Proves' your point.

It doesn't offer any explination, any understanding, nor does it adress the specific problems that individual may be having with the game.


You can NOT become Addicted to Gaming.

I hate it when people don't read to the end of a comment and presume they have a full grasp of what is being discussed. I specifically said near the end that this was a symptom to an underlining problem which the OP might not be aware of. I'm not even going to quote for you you lazy cretin.

So fuck you for jumping the gun.

Good day to you sir.

EDIT: You can get addicted to gaming... or escapism if you want to look at the bigger picture. But it requires something to push you into it. My proof? That would be myself actually. I lived it, or at the least experienced a need to constantly escape for real pressures.

So again, Good day to you sir.

No, i hate the dateline style sitting some one down and in a confrontational manner state 'You have a Problem'.

it is such a broken method of therapy that i strongly disagree with. If compounds the problems so much more so then setting it on the right track....

The person either becomes confused or the person becomes angry. And either action just simply acts as 'proof' that what ever you confronted the person with is true. Regardless of what happens or what is said, this method says in a rather direct manner 'You are wrong, i am Right'. I would much rather creating an evolving discussion where both individuals arrive to the conclusion through their on introspection Rather then directly confronting the individual with an absolute and asking them to either accept to deny it.

your analaysis on the possibilities and reasons is valid, although i disagree with it from my life experience.

 

[Popadoo]

Maybe she doesn't want to come out and have fun with you because she's already having fun? If anything, you're being more selfish than her by calling her pathetic and saying she's boring and lazy. She can do whatever she wants.

 

[Timmehexas]

nothing inferior about socialising in World of Warcraft (or another MMO) vs going to parties or whatever you want her to do instead.

Yes. Yes, there is.

This view is pretty narrow minded, I have a full time job, I go out with friends, I have several sporting teams I play for, I don't like going to parties and I spend a lot of time gaming. I've talked to a lot of people who love partying and I can safely assure you I will always prefer an online interaction over anything you'll ever get at a party. I've had girls in my indoor netball team talk about going to a party with the entire intention of getting drunk and vomiting at least once, seen so many status updates on Facebook about people not even remembering what they did last night at a party...

I've made life long friends over the internet, not only that but with some people I never would have met otherwise (in different countries/states). I've moved games and still talk to some of these people about things ranging from how their kids are doing or anything non-gaming related. I love going out with "outside friends" and doing stuff together but I'd still count some of my online friends as equal or sometimes even better friends and have even arranged and gone to meet-ups with a few of them.

You're going on and on about her problem, maybe you need to look at your own.

 

[Daniel Janhagen]

Take sex, for example. All the good and all the bad, potential and realized, involved in sex. Akwardness, ecstasy, longing, fulfilment, accidents, regret, guilt. You can't feel this the same way when you cheat on your fake internet girlfriend by having fake internet sex with another fake internet friend. You also cannot explode together. You can't introduce her to your parents, or hold her when she cries. You can't wake up next to each other. And yet this is somehow superior to real relationships, because you think it allows for more honesty? Ever seen To Catch A Predator? People lie about their age, their looks, their job, their wealth, every single part of their lives on the internet. At least as much lying occurs between internet friends, if not more, than in the real world.

You can have sex together. You can regret it. You can feel the same way as after "real" sex. You can cry together afterwards, because one person regrets it. I should say I can, actually, and other people can. Apparently not you. Or you just haven't learned how. (You don't have to learn either, you do what you want - I'm not trying to corrupt you and make you one of us or anything.) Also, yes: superior "somehow", in some ways. Not in all ways. I believe he listed the ways in which it was superior, as he saw it. Only very rarely are online relationships sex-relationships though, in my experience. You can be perfectly good friends without sex, I'm sure you'll agree.

Just because something allows for more honesty (which may or may not be the case with internet relationships) doesn't mean it doesn't also allow for more dishonesty. One does not rule out the other. (Just as having an internet relationship does not rule out meeting afk.)

As for not being a hate thread: Well, no; it isn't exclusively a hate thread. There is, however, quite a bit of condemning of lifestyles that I don't think is necessary. The stated purpose of the thread (though not the title of the thread, interestingly) was to help someone, as you say. I'm not sure that was the actual purpose, especially considering the title, but I'm willing to grant the OP the benefit of the doubt, and I'll leave this thread to those that could possibly offer help, which isn't me.

I've made life long friends over the internet, not only that but with some people I never would have met otherwise (in different countries/states). I've moved games and still talk to some of these people about things ranging from how their kids are doing or anything non-gaming related. I love going out with "outside friends" and doing stuff together but I'd still count some of my online friends as equal or sometimes even better friends and have even arranged and gone to meet-ups with a few of them.

For those in the thread that don't know, this is quite common in MMOs. Here is one such gathering ( http://youtu.be/iiJpAcVwNFU my old raiding community), with people from different countries in Europe, (Norway, Holland, Germany and Denmark, I think. I don't actually remember everyone who was there.) and one person from North America. One couple featured in it met in WoW, also.

I'm not willing to tell you people here everything I've done in the way of internet relationships, or really much at all, since you are not one of those serious ones (relationships, I mean. I'm sure you're all very serious ), but I've done a lot of the things you look down on, and I know people who've done a lot more. I give up though: This is not worth it, and I give up on this thread. I bear none of you ill will, but it's too much trouble trying to convince people of the merits of certain lifestyles if they're against it. So long as we're free to spend our free time how we wish, I'm satisfied as far as this topic goes. (For clarity's sake, I don't play MMOs anymore.)

 

[funguy2121]

Take sex, for example. All the good and all the bad, potential and realized, involved in sex. Akwardness, ecstasy, longing, fulfilment, accidents, regret, guilt. You can't feel this the same way when you cheat on your fake internet girlfriend by having fake internet sex with another fake internet friend. You also cannot explode together. You can't introduce her to your parents, or hold her when she cries. You can't wake up next to each other. And yet this is somehow superior to real relationships, because you think it allows for more honesty? Ever seen To Catch A Predator? People lie about their age, their looks, their job, their wealth, every single part of their lives on the internet. At least as much lying occurs between internet friends, if not more, than in the real world.

(1)You can have sex together. You can regret it. You can feel the same way as after "real" sex. You can cry together afterwards, because one person regrets it. I should say I can, actually, and other people can. (2)Apparently not you. Or you just haven't learned how. (You don't have to learn either, you do what you want - I'm not trying to corrupt you and make you one of us or anything.) (3)Also, yes: superior "somehow", in some ways. Not in all ways. I believe he listed the ways in which it was superior.

(4)Just because something allows for more honesty (which may or may not be the case with internet relationships) doesn't mean it doesn't also allow for more dishonesty. One does not rule out the other. (Just as having an internet relationship does not rule out meeting afk.)

(5)As for not being a hate thread: Well, no; it isn't exclusively a hate thread. There is, however, quite a bit of condemning of lifestyles that I don't think is necessary. The stated purpose of the thread (though not the title of the thread, interestingly) was to help someone, as you say. I'm not sure that was the actual purpose, especially considering the title, but I'm willing to grant the OP the benefit of the doubt, and I'll leave this thread to those that could possibly offer help, which isn't me.

(1) How, exactly? Second life? If you consider that sex then you are deluded. That is not sex. You are cheating - cheating yourself, really, by not forcing yourself to have the balls to get out of the house and meet someone to have a real relationship with.

(2) Why? Is this because I'm a luddite? Going online and talking dirty or having a poorly animated avatar have mock sex with another poorly animated avatar is not sex. Aristotle's law of identity doesn't cease to be to serve your hyperreality. Sex is sex. Everything else, is not. Phone sex isn't sex. More than half the people "having sex" in porn films are more than likely not having sex, because they're going through the motions and sharing no emotions whatsoever, even the feelings of conquest/desperation/disdain or the overwhelming rush of a one night stand so they can get paid. Just as "killing" someone in Call of Duty isn't murder and saving the Princess in Zelda doesn't make you a hero, having an exclusively online romantic relationship does not include, in any sense of the term, sex. I don't care if you're orgasming. Some guys jerk it to The Price is Right. Masturbation isn't sex.

(3) Why don't you list the ways in which you feel they are superior? I addressed his claims.

(4) It only does if the people involved aren't stupid. With a long-distance or internet-only relationship it's a lot easier to conceal certain things. The picture of the person you're flirting with may be 10 years old. The skype sex you're having won't give away any clues that she's married, or underage, or has an STD. You can gather a lot of information simply by speaking to a person, but you can't read body language and you can't ascertain the same things that you can when you are an actual part of that person's life.

(5) Did you read the entire thread? More than one person stated that they've lost relationships (the real ones, the ones that matter) over their "lifestyle," and one poster said he flunked out of college because of his gaming habits. I've read your previous posts and most certainly did not give the OP the benefit of the doubt.

I have difficulty believing in video game addiction, though if one can be addicted to sex or shopping I suppose anything is possible. Whether or not you believe it, spending most of your free time sitting on your ass is bad for you, whether you're talking to a buddy in Nepal or watching Seinfeld reruns or leveling up your Elf Knight Mohawk whatever.

Losing friends and jobs because of drinking or sex addiction is very serious business. Losing friends and jobs because of obsessive video game playing may seem strange, but it should be taken just as seriously.

 

[Neo10101]

Yea, I know a couple people similar to this. We still hang out, but not as much, its really that league of Legends that's been doing a lot of damage to my circle of friends recently. Slightly off topic, but what I was thinking of when I read the title, one of my friends is completely pathetic because of how he plays Dungeons and Dragons. Not that he plays, (the game is awesome) but for those of you who don't play, you need to roll dice and add modifiers to determine how well you perform at certain tasks. Except he will consistently lie about everyone of his dice rolls. We will have to watch him like a hawk if we want him to play at least somewhat fair, its completely pathetic.

 

[Doom-Slayer]

-snip

I can see your point and you make a lot of good points. Yes the whole trust issue is extremely important and if Id have to give a number, about 95% of online relationships are going to fail miserably. My first 2 failed for those exact reasons, trust. However yo immediately assume that it CANNOT be overcome, because it can. that's actually what Ive got now, total and complete, no white lies no hiding anything, nothing. And obviously people are going to be skeptical when I say that "Oh but you just THINK shes telling the truth" no..no I don't "think so" I know. Knowing somebody for 5 years, and talking to them via webcam+voice almost every day for a whole year can lend themselves to that, on top of being paranoid to the point of worry. The main point is is that people lie on the internet because they know they can get away with it, and if they aren't willing to say everything about them. Once you get past that barrier (or a just disposed to not lying) then opening up about personal information is far far easier, since there's a lot of physical elements you don't need to worry about.

Next point, the whole physical thing. I'm going to go ahead and say this, YES it is extremely enriching in a relationship, but no its not necessary. Same with the sex example, sex and physical contact are obviously helpful to make a connection but they are necessary. You could have 2 people who never even touch each other, never have sex etc, but who are in a deeply emotional relationship, and I have trouble saying something like "it doesn't count as a "relationship" because you don't have physical contact".

TLR - To round that all up, yes honesty is a big problem, yes it can be overcome and if you can its awesome. No physical contact, or even physical -appearance- isn't a main factor in a relationship, its the emotional connection between 2 people. Yes, I am mad about this Because somebody saying my relationship with my girlfriend "doesn't count" because I haven't met her yet. Also..2 weeks and it wont be online anymore, just throwing that out there.

 

[Doom-Slayer]

You're actually a lot better at this than I am. You're like a beacon of light in this hate-thread. (You're not the only one, I just liked what you wrote specifically.) MMO gaming, and other online interactions, can be very social, some people just haven't learned how yet.

Why thank you But ya everything I'm saying applies to friendships as well. Ive made tons of friends Ive never met or even seen pictures of, it really doesn't matter. Friendships are friendships, whether you can see the person or know what they look like, its about the connection between 2 people, not physical stuff.

 

[funguy2121]

-snip

I can see your point and you make a lot of good points. Yes the whole trust issue is extremely important and if Id have to give a number, about 95% of online relationships are going to fail miserably. My first 2 failed for those exact reasons, trust. However yo immediately assume that it CANNOT be overcome, because it can. that's actually what Ive got now, total and complete, no white lies no hiding anything, nothing. And obviously people are going to be skeptical when I say that "Oh but you just THINK shes telling the truth" no..no I don't "think so" I know. Knowing somebody for 5 years, and talking to them via webcam+voice almost every day for a whole year can lend themselves to that, on top of being paranoid to the point of worry. The main point is is that people lie on the internet because they know they can get away with it, and if they aren't willing to say everything about them. Once you get past that barrier (or a just disposed to not lying) then opening up about personal information is far far easier, since there's a lot of physical elements you don't need to worry about.

Next point, the whole physical thing. I'm going to go ahead and say this, YES it is extremely enriching in a relationship, but no its not necessary. Same with the sex example, sex and physical contact are obviously helpful to make a connection but they are necessary. You could have 2 people who never even touch each other, never have sex etc, but who are in a deeply emotional relationship, and I have trouble saying something like "it doesn't count as a "relationship" because you don't have physical contact".

TLR - To round that all up, yes honesty is a big problem, yes it can be overcome and if you can its awesome. No physical contact, or even physical -appearance- isn't a main factor in a relationship, its the emotional connection between 2 people. Yes, I am mad about this Because somebody saying my relationship with my girlfriend "doesn't count" because I haven't met her yet. Also..2 weeks and it wont be online anymore, just throwing that out there.

I didn't assume that these challenges CANNOT be overcome. I'm glad it's about to become a flesh-and-blood relationship. Are one of you moving?

You may be younger than I am, or you may simply not have the same needs (it's reductive to simply say "sexual" needs and I'm unwilling to talk about cuddling on the Escapist) as I. Either way, I do have quite a few relationships where physical contact isn't necessary (though I do hug every one of the people I love), but I absolutely would not engage in a romantic relationship where sex and all of the other physical stuff wasn't ultimately involved.

 

[Doom-Slayer]

I didn't assume that these challenges CANNOT be overcome. I'm glad it's about to become a flesh-and-blood relationship. Are one of you moving?

You may be younger than I am, or you may simply not have the same needs (it's reductive to simply say "sexual" needs and I'm unwilling to talk about cuddling on the Escapist) as I. Either way, I do have quite a few relationships where physical contact isn't necessary (though I do hug every one of the people I love), but I absolutely would not engage in a romantic relationship where sex and all of the other physical stuff wasn't ultimately involved.

To be fair purely online relationships basically never work because the 2 people cant meet up. Lack of physical contact does make it very difficult, but it is still possible, I for one don't need any physical contact to be in the relationship I'm in. Wold I be able to continue in my current relationship knowing if we would NEVER meet up, ya I probably could, I would prefer not to since obviously physical contact is nice, but I still could and I purposefully would to continue what I have.

And I can fully understand that you wouldn't want a relationship with no physical element, a lot of people wouldnt, which is totally reasonable, Im just saying that some can and do pursue relationships that dont have that element, and they still count just as much.

Offtopic: Shes moving here to go to uni and be a vet, prob is I'm in New Zealand, shes in the states, citizenship, international students and all that nonsense needs to be sorted.

 

[funguy2121]

I didn't assume that these challenges CANNOT be overcome. I'm glad it's about to become a flesh-and-blood relationship. Are one of you moving?

You may be younger than I am, or you may simply not have the same needs (it's reductive to simply say "sexual" needs and I'm unwilling to talk about cuddling on the Escapist) as I. Either way, I do have quite a few relationships where physical contact isn't necessary (though I do hug every one of the people I love), but I absolutely would not engage in a romantic relationship where sex and all of the other physical stuff wasn't ultimately involved.

To be fair purely online relationships basically never work because the 2 people cant meet up. Lack of physical contact does make it very difficult, but it is still possible, I for one don't need any physical contact to be in the relationship I'm in. Wold I be able to continue in my current relationship knowing if we would NEVER meet up, ya I probably could, I would prefer not to since obviously physical contact is nice, but I still could and I purposefully would to continue what I have.

And I can fully understand that you wouldn't want a relationship with no physical element, a lot of people wouldnt, which is totally reasonable, Im just saying that some can and do pursue relationships that dont have that element, and they still count just as much.

Offtopic: Shes moving here to go to uni and be a vet, prob is I'm in New Zealand, shes in the states, citizenship, international students and all that nonsense needs to be sorted.

Cool! Where's she from in the US?

 

[Doom-Slayer]

Cool! Where's she from in the US?

Utah lol. And thats as much as Ill say since we are getting offtopic

 

[funguy2121]

Cool! Where's she from in the US?

Utah lol. And thats as much as Ill say since we are getting offtopic

Fair enough.

 

[ChildishLegacy]

I know more people that pathetically drink in their own time/at social occasions than pathetically game.
It's odd that getting out of your face every time you go out because you're too emotionally/intellectually void to have a conversation other than drunken jiberrish is seen as a more productive use of people's time than gaming and talking to others over the internet (I'm not saying the post was about this, but this is the general public's view)

I really hate teen culture here in England sometimes.

 

[ShadowAurora]

I game alot but i have family troubles...
but my lack of real friends is do to the fact i left them behind to farther my education and when i came back home i was in a new town filled with children im to old to hang with I've searched this city high and low for people of my age group(19)

I think online relationships are bound to fail most of the time but there are ones that are successful and i think its great.

but online friendships are very different and i have one that pretty awesome a dude my age in the UK that shares my same opinions, I don't think people get addicted to games just to the people they talk to when they play said game

like me my first online game was Uncharted 2 and that game annoys the crap out of me now but i still play it cause of the friends i play with both RL & online

I was able to get ahold of some of my old buddies and we've been hanging and soon were going to get a place together after that i get my shit together

I'd say help your friend but trying to control her isn't the way

 

[Daniel Janhagen]

(1) How, exactly? Second life? If you consider that sex then you are deluded. That is not sex. You are cheating - cheating yourself, really, by not forcing yourself to have the balls to get out of the house and meet someone to have a real relationship with.

(2) Why? Is this because I'm a luddite? Going online and talking dirty or having a poorly animated avatar have mock sex with another poorly animated avatar is not sex. Aristotle's law of identity doesn't cease to be to serve your hyperreality. Sex is sex. Everything else, is not. Phone sex isn't sex. More than half the people "having sex" in porn films are more than likely not having sex, because they're going through the motions and sharing no emotions whatsoever, even the feelings of conquest/desperation/disdain or the overwhelming rush of a one night stand so they can get paid. Just as "killing" someone in Call of Duty isn't murder and saving the Princess in Zelda doesn't make you a hero, having an exclusively online romantic relationship does not include, in any sense of the term, sex. I don't care if you're orgasming. Some guys jerk it to The Price is Right. Masturbation isn't sex.

(3) Why don't you list the ways in which you feel they are superior? I addressed his claims.

(4) It only does if the people involved aren't stupid. With a long-distance or internet-only relationship it's a lot easier to conceal certain things. The picture of the person you're flirting with may be 10 years old. The skype sex you're having won't give away any clues that she's married, or underage, or has an STD. You can gather a lot of information simply by speaking to a person, but you can't read body language and you can't ascertain the same things that you can when you are an actual part of that person's life.

(5) Did you read the entire thread? More than one person stated that they've lost relationships (the real ones, the ones that matter) over their "lifestyle," and one poster said he flunked out of college because of his gaming habits. I've read your previous posts and most certainly did not give the OP the benefit of the doubt.

[...]
Losing friends and jobs because of drinking or sex addiction is very serious business. Losing friends and jobs because of obsessive video game playing may seem strange, but it should be taken just as seriously.

1 I feel sorry for you. That is all.
2 I don't care if you care, as long as you don't try to stop me.
3 You really didn't.
4 None of those things are as important as you make them out to be.
5 I'm sure people have lost real relationships because of people like you attacking them and calling them inferior as well.

 

[funguy2121]

(1) How, exactly? Second life? If you consider that sex then you are deluded. That is not sex. You are cheating - cheating yourself, really, by not forcing yourself to have the balls to get out of the house and meet someone to have a real relationship with.

(2) Why? Is this because I'm a luddite? Going online and talking dirty or having a poorly animated avatar have mock sex with another poorly animated avatar is not sex. Aristotle's law of identity doesn't cease to be to serve your hyperreality. Sex is sex. Everything else, is not. Phone sex isn't sex. More than half the people "having sex" in porn films are more than likely not having sex, because they're going through the motions and sharing no emotions whatsoever, even the feelings of conquest/desperation/disdain or the overwhelming rush of a one night stand so they can get paid. Just as "killing" someone in Call of Duty isn't murder and saving the Princess in Zelda doesn't make you a hero, having an exclusively online romantic relationship does not include, in any sense of the term, sex. I don't care if you're orgasming. Some guys jerk it to The Price is Right. Masturbation isn't sex.

(3) Why don't you list the ways in which you feel they are superior? I addressed his claims.

(4) It only does if the people involved aren't stupid. With a long-distance or internet-only relationship it's a lot easier to conceal certain things. The picture of the person you're flirting with may be 10 years old. The skype sex you're having won't give away any clues that she's married, or underage, or has an STD. You can gather a lot of information simply by speaking to a person, but you can't read body language and you can't ascertain the same things that you can when you are an actual part of that person's life.

(5) Did you read the entire thread? More than one person stated that they've lost relationships (the real ones, the ones that matter) over their "lifestyle," and one poster said he flunked out of college because of his gaming habits. I've read your previous posts and most certainly did not give the OP the benefit of the doubt.

[...]
Losing friends and jobs because of drinking or sex addiction is very serious business. Losing friends and jobs because of obsessive video game playing may seem strange, but it should be taken just as seriously.

1 I feel sorry for you. That is all.
2 I don't care if you care, as long as you don't try to stop me.
3 You really didn't.
4 None of those things are as important as you make them out to be.
5 I'm sure people have lost real relationships because of people like you attacking them and calling them inferior as well.

(1) So your follow-up to condescension is false pity? Why don't you answer the question with sincerity?
(2) Why don't you answer the question with sincerity? Why answer at all if you don't "care if I care?"
(3) Why don't you answer the question with sincerity?
(4) Of course; acquiring a lifelong STD that you will potentially pass on to all future partners, knocking up a child and wrecking a family aren't as important as I make them out to be; nor for that matter is the distinction between making love and sending your futa elves to do it. You've awfully condescending for a virgin.
(5) I don't think anyone has lost a relationship because a third party ("people like you") postulated that their relationship is inferior. Part of your problem is that you assign responsibility that belongs to you to others. No one has attacked you or called you inferior. I have pointed out that some of the opinions you've expressed barely stop short of disdain for the real thing, and that speaks to self delusion. If you find this offensive, you can simply say so. There's no need to get all dramatic and claim that people are attacking you or ruining your fake relationships.