His mother gives him money. The father is disabled, gets disability and will not buy any food for his wife or the 18 year old. The father will only buy food for himself and the other 21 year old (who works).

So to day this family has problems is putting it mildly.

The reason I asked about the drugs, is that many 18 year olds experiment and they DO THEIR THING. The odd statement from the mother was that "My son would never do that". Now you know that moms can't say that. Moms don't know EVERYTHING that their kids do.

And as far as video gaming. It's the most dangerous thing that's going on now. When they first start playing games, it affects the brain, it changes brain chemistry. But this country and other countries also are so TECHNO SAVVY, that all kids do this. And parents don't see the harm because as one mother told me "he's in his room on the computer, what harm can he do, at least he's not out drugging".

Gaming addiction is not yet on the DSM 4 but they are trying to put it on their when it is revised in 2012.

I think MMO's are going to be the fastest growing addictive behavior (even more than drugs).

Every single young boy that I know is either on his playstation or on the computer. And I know MANY parents, who when they try and unplug the computer or get the kid away from it, well the kids actually became violent and hit the parents.

I know MANY parents who throw up their hands and say "what can I do, my son is running the house".

Very sad

And very scary.

Because if all our young men (and it's mostly guys who do this role playing stuff and virtual reality playing, like Second Life), Some gals do it also but it's mostly guys. Well if all these kids are becoming addicted at such an early age, what will happen when it's time to grow up, go out and go to work, or go to college.

Do you know that I know parents who paid for college and can't get their 19 year old sons out of bed in the morning because he was on the computer all night long.

I can't tell you how many I know because it's TOO many.

Video games are addictive. And I recently read that children at the age of 2 should NOT BE WATCHING TV AT ALL.

It seems that they found out that kids who watch tv so young, learn no social skills and wind up being bullied in the playground when they go to school.

All this Second Life and Worlds of Warcraft, and even the games on Facebook, well, they are all MMO's and well, they are going to be the ruination of our young people.

Sorry to rant and rave.

It hits home.

Melody