"Owned" Phenomenon

Recently, I've found myself hanging out online more and more, and doing less and less. Sure, I've been playing Mob Wars. Sure, I was a multi-millionaire on the Facebook game "Owned." But really - what does this all mean?

In Owned I'd spend hours and minutes clicking frantically through bad photos taken on cell phone cameras, a few really nice and obviously personal photos - but a vast majority were nothing more than images pulled from other websites of buxom women, hot young men, and funny moments. I'd spend hours buying and selling people. Making split second reactions on attractiveness (and occasionally on geekitude!) and deciding what could make me more money. What was that? Images of women in tight clothes, bikinis, often in provocative poses.

In Mob Wars, I ran around with my Mob as Mob Boss GangStaGwen. I had a few restuarants, villas and a city block and apartment. Made my money by jewelry heists, bootlegging, taking out people on the "Hit List," muggings and carjacking.

I've spent the past few days slowly passing off my online fortune, gallery of images and really looking forward to seeing the computer more as ally and tool. More writing, more photography, and not that there can't be fun in here -but I'm going to look at games that involve more thought and challenge, like Scrabulous did.

The main lesson here - I was served a not-so-subtle reminder that I do indeed have an addictive personality, and that the internet can take the place of carbs, startches, sweets as it might for an alcoholic, gambler, or other type of addict.

My second lesson/reflection - what exactly was I modelling to some of the kids I love (not that they are all online yet): violence is a way to succeed, being attractive makes you more valuable, being hot makes you extremely valuable, and mindlessly being a consumer of media is okay.

So let's start at the start - back to using talents and time more wisely. Remembering that there is a world that exists that does not include plasma, LCD or tubes. And most of all - that there are things far more worthy of addictive dedication - health, relationships, and creativity being just a few.