I play an online game (via my trusted and beloved iphone) called words with friends. Very similar to a board game that you can/and /or have played growing up where you place your tiles on the board and score points by making great words on triple letter/double letter/ word scoring places. Anyway, you get my drift.. Now I play this game a lot, everyday, whenever I get a minute. I absolutely love it. I know I can be a little obsessive with it but yesterday when my family staged an 'INTERVENTION' to stop me playing and made me go out with them, I considered it time to evaluate my loving relationship with this little application. The words my family and friends used was 'ADDICT'. Personally I think that's a little extreme though I can see where they may have got this idea for the following reasons:
- Most times when you find me I may be playing it.
- I have anywhere from 20 plus games going.
- I follow WWF on facebook
- And on twitter
- And watch WWF you tube videos
Now thankfully I work for myself so I am able to have the ability to check my WWF status many times throughout the day otherwise I think I would have a valuable reason to take stress related sick leave. I have even dropped my phone into a pan of risotto whilst trying to play and cook at the same time. The risotto lost. I have even forced real life friends to upload the application on a night out so we can play together! I recently dropped my phone in water and feared for my life as it stopped ringing and functioning in a normal way and I spent the entire day nursing it back to health so my game would still work. I stay up until late at night with the charger plugged into the phone as it's running out of juice super fast. Since the charger is not very long I have to lie at a most peculiar angle to reach my phone and play. I seriously think I have invented a new yoga position. My beauty sleep is shot, my eyes are super tired, yet still, should I awake in the middle of the night guess what is the first thing I reach for? Now were this a class A drug you would have me bundled off to some rehab centre for weeks, no doubt about it and when I read this back I can see why I am being called a word addict. Im sure there are people out there shouting "Get a life" But let me tell you I have an enviable life, truly I do. But hold ye hard! Lets take a look at the positive side to this game:
- Good for the grey matter. I will not get dementia or amnesia (even my lovely friends whom I never see - I'll always remember you fondly xx)
- Excellent for improving vocabulary
- Great for keeping our fantastic language alive in this 'abbreviated' society
- Encourages competition and strategic thinking
- Inspired conversations with people all over the world whilst you play
Trust me. I have met (well virtually rather than physically) some brilliant people whose paths I would not have crossed under normal circumstances. I have regular friends whom I play with from around the States, UK and even the Outback! People that I am really happy I've met and thank technology and WWF for. So, objectively speaking, as far as I'm concerned, the positives far outweigh the negatives and whilst I will endeavour to balance my time more appropriately I will say this: Need to speak to me as a matter of urgency? See me on the tiles!
