MTV’s True Life Looks at Videogame Addiction

January 27, 2010 -

A new entry in MTV’s True Life television series takes a cursory look at the impact that playing too many games can have on relationships and life in general.

True Life: I’m Addicted to Video Games shadowed two fixated gamers: a white male college student named Barry and an African-American female college student named Charisse. Jezebel summed up the episode nicely, choosing to focus more on the plight of Charisse mostly because the site is for females, but also because Barry came across as attempting to “live up to every possible stereotype that exists about guys who game.”

Jezebel noted that Charisse “Though an obsessive player in her own right... showed quite a bit of range, devoting time to her five Sorority Life accounts, Farmville accounts, Guitar Hero, and Halo.” Additionally, “Charisse's boyfriend (Corey) is also African-American, a pairing that illuminated three different demographics not normally associated with gaming: a gaming couple, black gamers, and black girl gamers.”

The show caught Charisse and Corey in a rough patch in their relationship, but ended with the two accepting each other for who they are and trying to advance their relationship, with Charisse attempting to include Corey in her passion and play more games with him.

In a comment on the story, Charisse added that the heavily edited show didn’t show every aspect of her addiction. She said that her reliance on games caused her to “lose my job, neglect household chores, and lose financial aid.”

The episode is scheduled to air again tonight on MTV at 7PM ET.

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Comments

Re: MTV’s True Life Looks at Videogame Addiction

Submitted by sharpshooterbabe on Sun, 01/31/2010 - 10:53.

MTV is more for the upper class idiots that have no clue to wipe their a**. Especially the females that watch it that rely on their looks to get by in this world, rather than thinking w/their brains.

"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry

Re: MTV’s True Life Looks at Videogame Addiction

Submitted by Skillz817 on Thu, 01/28/2010 - 20:05.

If they're gonna pull this one out of their ass they should do one about the impact of watching mtv or "reality" tv in general.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the strength to overcome it.

Re: MTV’s True Life Looks at Videogame Addiction

Submitted by thefremen on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 21:10.

MTV should have changed their name to Young People TV in 2000, but I kind of like that show. Especially when it has a happy ending.

Re: MTV’s True Life Looks at Videogame Addiction

Submitted by PumaFau on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 20:39.

MTV manages to make the most idiotic programming imaginable so really who gives a damn

Never underestimate the power of idiots in large amounts.

Re: MTV’s True Life Looks at Videogame Addiction

Submitted by chadachada321 on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 20:23.

"...a white male college student named Barry..."

"...an African-American female college student named Charisse."

I don't understand why everyone does this. Either she's black and he's white, or she's African-American and he's European-American.

Sorry, that was totally unrelated. I never really trusted anything that I see on MTV, that station is pretty stupid/fake.

-Optimum est pati quod emendare non possis-It is best to endure what you cannot change-

Re: MTV’s True Life Looks at Videogame Addiction

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Wed, 01/27/2010 - 16:10.

Giving that it's MTV, I won't put it past them to sacrifice facts for "reality" show drama.

Re: MTV’s True Life Looks at Videogame Addiction

Submitted by Kincyr on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 22:09.

true, esp. considering how their "Real Life" wasn't real in the least

岩「…Where do masochists go when they die?」

岩「…I can see why Hasselbeck's worried about fake guns killing fake people. afterall, she's a fake journalist on a fake news channel」

Shout box

prh99: Also there is no story in rational and respectful discussion (where you can find it).10/19/2014 - 10:44am

prh99: Well they are probably doing it on Twitter and probably the GG hashtag so any voice reason gets drowned out by idiocy. Also it's far easier to broad brush a group.10/19/2014 - 10:41am

Wonderkarp: dont fool yourself, Technogeek. Remember Mass Effect 3? How about the ferver against Phil Fish?10/19/2014 - 10:18am

MechaTama31: None of which is the fault or responsibility of the people who are not trolling, harassing, threatening, doxxing, etc. So why is their opinion hostage to the people who are?10/19/2014 - 10:06am

Technogeek: If the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am

Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm

Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm

Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm

Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm

Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm

Wonderkarp: Zippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm

Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm

Monte: We have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm

ZippyDSMlee: Wonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm

MaskedPixelante: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm

Matthew Wilson: the sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm

MechaTama31: So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am

Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am

quiknkold: and we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: The whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

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