By Jenn
Hi there!
Firstly, congratulations on visiting this website. This shows that you have tried to quit your Neopets addiction. :)
That's the first step- if you don't try, who knows? You might be able to stop your addiction, like how I did. Well- to introduce myself, my name is Jenn, and I used to be addicted to Neopets. I spent hours on Neopets, just sitting there in front of the flickering screen, clicking and typing away. I was about nine or ten when I first discovered Neopets on a advertisement on the back of one of my Archie comics. As a child, I was drawn to the website by it's colorful pictures and it seemed fun, so when I went back home, I booted up my computer and visited the site. My addiction started only at 30 minutes a day, but slowly over the weeks, months and years, it developed to over seven hours a day- no, I couldn't stop playing until my parents literally dragged me away from the computer.
I had built up a nice account by the time I was about fourteen- I had painted pets, over five million neopoints and an avatar count to die for. I was seventeen when I discovered this site, a few weeks before I turned eighteen. Before seeing this site, I scoffed at it. "A quit Neopets site? Yeah, right. These are just stupid losers who scammed using autobuyers and then complained."
Until I got frozen.
It wasn't THAT long ago, about like a few months ago when I logged in to find that Neopets has accused me of using an autobuyer. I gasped, and filled in the Account Frozen form. I received no answer. Over the years- even to this day, there was no answer, and there probably wouldn't be one. I realized that I was 'RSing' for pixels, just pixels. I realized that I had spent the days of my youth not playing with other friends; I had drifted away from reality; it wasn't a hobby- it was an addiction. I then visited this site again, and read the articles and stuff about the site. In about a month, I was no longer dependent on the 'fun' of Neopets, I didn't even feel sorry when I hovered my mouse over the Self-Freeze Account button. I was happy that I was not like Bob next door, who's face was permanently plastered to the computer screen, clicking away day to day.
It is alright to play Neopets as a casual game, logging in for an hour or two. However, it is not normal to be logging in for more than three or four or more hours. It is an addiction; and unlike the game, it is very, very, very real.
Unlike most user articles, my story does not end here. I want to help other people overcome their addiction to Neopets, so that there are less addicted Neopians in the world. Yes, I know that's cheesy, but really- what's cheesy compared to the fact that about half the population of people playing Neopets are people who's faces are plastered to the screen, clicking and typing away? Hopefully, you do not want to become like that; and if you are- thank goodness you are here. Do you still want to go play Neopets? Yes? Well, stay. At least hear me out on this say.