{"product_id":"unplugged-my-journey-into-the-dark-world-of-video-game-addiction","title":"Unplugged: My Journey into the Dark World of Video Game Addiction","description":"\u003cp\u003eWARNING: This video game may impair your judgment. It may cause sleep deprivation  alienation of friends and family  weight loss or gain  neglect of ones basic needs as well as the needs of loved ones and\/or dependents  and decreased performance on the job. The distinction between fantasy and reality may become blurred. Play at your own risk. Not responsible for suicide attempts  whether failed or successful. No such warning was included on the latest and greatest release from the Warcraft series of massive multiplayer on-line role-playing games (MMORPGs)World of Warcraft (WoW). So when Ryan Van Cleavea college professor  husband  father  and one of the 11.5 million Warcraft subscribers worldwidefound himself teetering on the edge of the Arlington Memorial Bridge  he had no one to blame but himself. He had neglected his wife and children and had jeopardized his livelihood  all for the rush of living a life of high adventure in a virtual world. Ultimately  Ryan decided to live  but not for the sake of his family or for a newly found love of life: he had to get back home for his evening session of Warcraft.  A fabulously written and gripping tale  Unplugged takes us on a journey through Ryans semi-reclusive life with video games at the center of his experiences. Even when he was sexually molested by a young school teacher at age eleven  it was the promise of a new video game that lured him to her house. As Ryans life progresses  we witness the evolution of videogamesfrom simple two-button consoles to todays complicated multi-key technology  brilliantly designed to keep the user actively participating.  As is the case with most recovering addicts  Ryan eventually hits rock bottom and shares with the reader his ongoing battle to control his impulses to play  providing prescriptive advice and resources for those caught in the grip of this very real addiction.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44947439976501,"sku":"ByrdShop_0757313620","price":62.68,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780757313622_48867949-813b-4303-bf01-08c35f8a1043.jpg?v=1770330355","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/unplugged-my-journey-into-the-dark-world-of-video-game-addiction","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}