Hello. My name is Marie. I am an ex-addict of Neopets.
By Marie
I was a rather abnormal child for my age of six years old. I was very smart,
with a reading level of an eighth-grader (and an avid reader at that). I didn't
have many friends, so I turned to the Internet for my friends.
That was what led me to Neopets.
I excitedly looked at the link before clicking it and creating an account. I
created some pets before promptly forgetting about the entire thing, as
six-year-olds tend to do.
Nine months later (and no, I was most certainly not pregnant), I was bored.
That's when my little brain remembered Neopets! I'd never gotten back to that! I
started trying to get back into my account (obtaining access to OTHER people's
accounts in the process - I remember the look of horror on my face when I
realized that I HAD GOTTEN INTO SOMEONE'S ACCOUNT!). Eventually giving up, I
created three accounts. I was happy.
I was completely addicted by the time I was eight-and-a-half. I spent hours upon
hours on the computer, trying to get more and more of those neopoints that
seemed to be so attractive at the time. I had a drive to collect all the
merchandise (I didn't want to go to the beach, previously my favorite place,
because I didn't want to miss the release of the Halloween Aisha plushie), to
get all these neopoints, to make my pets nice and pretty.
When I was nine, the Neopets magazine came out. I wanted it so badly that when
it wasn't in Toys R Us, I cried and cried on the drive back home. Then, my
father spoke up.
"Marie, it's brainwashing you," he said. In my state of mind, I
protested furiously.
"NO, IT'S NOT!!" I said defiantly, still crying my eyes out. I was
acting childish. I was too saddened by the loss of a way to obtain more and more
neopoints that I was acting downright childish.
When I was nine-and-a-half or so, I stumbled across some info against Neopets. I
brushed it off as 'stupidity' and went on with my life (or lack thereof). I was
too obsessed to think clearly while reading it.
When I was around ten, I revisited these sites. I realized that Neopets really
had gone downhill. What my father had said a year ago was completely true! I WAS
BEING BRAINWASHED! I WAS OBSESSED WITH PIXELS! I mentally slapped myself, but
reconsidered and kept on playing.
A short while later, my main account got frozen (for legitimate reasons, by the
way - I played a stereotypical homosexual Sonic character in roleplays for pure
fun). It had my beloved Kiko, all my battle items... an excellent RPer's
username. I was absolutely devastated. I remembered yet again what my father had
said about the brainwashing and finally came to my senses. That was the day I
quit the game part of the site. No longer would I be obsessed with pixels. No
longer would I be so attached.
I am now a healthy eleven-year-old girl, with a love for books, shopping, and my
friends. I've never felt better in my life since I quit Neopets. Admittedly, I
still go there every once in a while to roleplay. I'm still on the search for
Ryoko, the guy whose name I lost a year back when flooferz got frozen. Maybe
he's still there. Maybe he's not. I don't know. I'd be happy for him if he has
left, though, because it would mean he wasn't bound to the screen.
I'm off Neopets now, and I am so happy. I know so many excellent people offline.
I jump at every chance I can get to leave this existence of mine contained
within this house. My grades are considerably better. I'm in the newspaper club
at my school, and I'm considering joining the NAL team. I've been doing more for
people and myself in general.
Would my life have been better if I had stayed away from Neopets on that day
when I was only six years old? I don't know, because that didn't happen.
However, I advise to people who go on Neopets not to stay. I know their lives
will be better if they stay away.
-- Marie