The Hidden Costs of Addiction: My Journey with Final Fantasy XIV

It’s not easy to write about Final Fantasy XIV—a game I’ve undoubtedly spent the most time on. When I decided to take a break, I captured a screenshot to reflect on my gaming hours. Written in Japanese, it recorded 218 days, 9 hours, and 3 minutes—a staggering total of 5232 hours. I accumulated this within just a few years.

My introduction to the game was through my wife, who wanted to play alongside her sister. Knowing my love for games, she invited me to join. This happened during the COVID lockdown, a time when I had recently quit drinking and suddenly found myself with ample free time. But in trading one addiction for another, I became utterly hooked.

For those unfamiliar, Final Fantasy XIV is the second MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) in the iconic Final Fantasy series. Having played almost every other title in the franchise, I had always avoided online games due to the required subscription and my tendency to get easily addicted. Yet, the promise of socializing during the pandemic made me give it a try.

A Game Too Vast to Conquer

The game is packed with an overwhelming amount of content. If you’re like me and try to complete games at 100%, it feels like fighting a losing battle unless you dedicate nearly all your time to it—which I did. While I didn’t achieve full completion, I maxed out every job, tackled most side quests, and became quite wealthy in the game.

The immersive gameplay and sheer volume of content explain why the game is so popular. However, after finishing the main storyline, I felt lost. The hardest content requires a static party—a group of dedicated players who meet regularly to practice and strategize. Since I had played mostly solo, I couldn’t progress further without joining a team, which I avoided. In hindsight, this limitation allowed me to detach from the game once the story ended.

When the Game Takes Over

What I didn’t realize immediately was how much the game had come to rule my life. I began making excuses to play more: canceling plans with friends, skipping my weekly basketball events, and even convincing myself that these activities were a “waste of time.” My life began revolving around playing the game—I slept less, ate quicker meals to save time, and structured my entire day to fit in more gaming hours.

In essence, I was addicted. Like with any addiction, the first step is acknowledging the problem.

Mastery or a Hollow Achievement?

There’s a popular myth that mastering a skill requires anywhere from 3000 to 10,000 hours of practice. By that standard, I might have “mastered” Final Fantasy XIV, but here’s the hard truth: What did I gain from it?

The parallels to my former addiction to alcohol are striking. While drinking allowed me to meet countless people, the majority of those relationships were superficial, built on a shared dependence on alcohol. The same could be said for my gaming addiction—connections forged in-game often lacked depth and meaning.

Manipulating the Brain: The Addictive Designs of Modern Products

Modern companies have perfected the art of manipulating our brains for consumption. Alcohol, for instance, directly impacts brain function by suppressing the prefrontal cortex, which governs rational thought, making us more prone to uninhibited behavior.

Similarly, many mobile games now incorporate “gacha” mechanics—a system modeled after Japan’s gachapon vending machines, akin to slot machines. The thrill of randomness and reward triggers dopamine rushes, the same mechanism that fuels addiction in social media. Scrolling for the next exciting video or image replicates the same brain chemistry, creating an endless feedback loop.

Instagram Reels and TikTok exploit another primal instinct: our brain’s attraction to movement over static images, making these platforms incredibly addictive.

The New “Sugar” for the Brain

When artificial sugar was first synthesized, industries quickly recognized its addictive potential and began adding it to everyday products. Now, information has become the new sugar.

Our brains remain highly adaptable until the age of 25, making children particularly vulnerable. The bombardment of dopamine hits from social media, games, and even processed foods rewires their brains, creating dependencies that are hard to overcome.

A Threat to Our Humanity

While we can try to limit children’s exposure to these tools, the issue runs deeper. Think of the atomic bomb—once considered unthinkable to use after World War II, yet its existence has only escalated. Similarly, we continue to create products that damage the very core of what makes us human: our brains.

If we knowingly expose future generations to tools that undermine their ability to thrive, what kind of legacy are we leaving behind?

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What are your thoughts on the addictive nature of modern products, from games to social media? Have you experienced a similar journey with a game, app, or other hobby? Share your insights and let’s discuss below!

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