Warcraft Widow
"Warcraft Widow" is a term used for the significant other of someone 'addicted' to the game of World of Warcraft. The term can be used in jest to let people know that their loved one plays the game so much that they feel like they've lost them. It can also be used a bit more seriously to describe the loneliness of someone closely connected to a true gaming addict.
Video game addiction is real and a serious issue. For that reason, the jocular term "Warcraft Widow" ought not to be used to identify someone who is struggling with the heavy burden of a loved one with an addiction (to video games or anything else). It makes light of an issue that is very real to the couple involved.
So if the term is used in the more light-hearted sense, it simply denotes someone who has a loved one whose hobby consumes much of their time. It falls in the category of Golf Widow or Fishing Widow.
For someone who finds themselves in this position, where the relationship isn't threatened by a serious addiction, humor may be one of the most effective ways of relating to the gamer. Embrace the term, along with embracing the fact that they really enjoy World of Warcraft.
Suggestions for a Warcraft Widow:
1. Listen when the gamer wants to talk about the game. Don't let your eyes glaze over. You wouldn't want them to do that when you're talking about your hobby.
2. Try to understand the demands of the game, to some degree. Because of the social aspect of the game, in-game relationships are very important. It is a 'virtual team' of players. If your loved one was on a sports team, you would understand the commitment needed to go to practice once or twice a week, and to show up on-time for games. Within the game there are usually set times when a group (guild) will 'raid' or play together. To the gamer, logging on time for the group is no different than showing up for a softball game.
3. If you have your own hobby, try to see their hobby in light of yours. If you like to garden, do you spend time during the day thinking about it? Do you read websites about gardening? Do you look forward to getting home and digging in the dirt, putting in a new plant, rearranging a flower-bed? Do you get a bit cranky in the middle of winter when you can't get outside, so your hobby is on hold? Try to understand your gamer's behavior in terms of a hobby that you can relate to.
In conclusion: keep it light. Pressure, criticism, snide remarks, etc., will not build a strong relationship. If the gamer is exhibiting serious addiction behaviors (ie: other areas of life are suffering or not functioning correctly), then in that case it is time to seek professional help, and avoid the cutesy term 'Warcraft Widow'.
George is an avid player of World of Warcraft, and married to a Warcraft Widow. Their conversations together led him to create http://www.warcraftwidow.com as a gift-shop for Warcraft Widows to find items of interest to their 'lost one'.
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