On October 15th, 2008, fifteen year-old Brandon Crisp got into a fight with his parents. The boy left his home in a rage and his parents figured he had gone to stay with a friend for the night, maybe to "blow off steam". Little did they know that their son would never be returning home.
When the boy didn't come home the next day, his parents went straight to the police.
I was watching the news on Wednesday, November 5th, following this story since it took place so close to my home town. I sat with my younger sister, watching the screen as a middle-aged reporter interviewed a police man, saying that they believed they had found Brandon's body in the middle of a forest, miles away from his home. I couldn't believe what was going on, mainly because the reason the boy left home in the first place was because of a video game.
Yes, you heard me. A video game caused a fight between a family, destroying their lives forever.
The game was an online game, just as addicting to anyone that enjoys online games. Of course, Whyville citizens would know. But when most of us are told to get off, do we not comply? Sometimes we may argue, but are we not able to tell the difference between online and reality? Lately I've come to realize that teens have not. Between 2000 and 2008, there has been a huge growth. How many young adults are getting lost in the online gaming community? And how many of those people do you think are acting out like Brandon?
I'm afraid to look at that answer.
Maybe that's what's wrong in this picture.
We see something going wrong, and we just shy away from it. Whyville has made an amazing community, but it is easy to draw a line where reality and vitality meet. In some other places, it is not as easy.
Teens, tweens and young adults everywhere need to know how to draw that line. We all, myself included, love the Internet. It is one of the most amazing inventions by far. But we need to be in the know about the effects it can have on some people. We need to know how to make sure we aren't the ones on the back of milk cartons.
Until next time,
Deli
