My roommate and I skipped a week or two of class freshman year because we were playing The Sims. We sat in little papasan chairs with computers in our laps for hours upon hours, furiously building houses and grooming yards for our pretend people to walk around in.It seems pretty unexciting now, thinking back on it, but it was an intense hobby at the time. I’m not sure why it was so hard to tear ourselves away from building a virtual doghouse, but it took a few bad grades and some shy intervention attempts from our other roommate to reintegrate us into RL (that means “real life,” Grandma).But more and more people these days can’t let go so easily. Role playing games (or RPGs, as we nerds like to call them) are more popular than ever, with virtual worlds like Second Life and World of Warcraft boasting millions of users across the world.A growing number of those users have a hard time balancing their virtual lives with their real ones. In recent years, rehabilitation centers have begun popping up in other parts of the world for people struggling with technological dependencies, like cell phone or video game addictions.The first such facility in the U.S., called reSTART, opened in July outside Seattle. It’s a 45-day in-patient program where people can come to “detox” from their technological addictions. The program is cold turkey — absolutely no furbolg-slaying warlocks or hot-tubbing Sims allowed.Patients participate in traditional 12-step meetings and one-on-one counseling, as well as adventure outings, nutritional education, community service, and other activities designed to foster a healthy social life as well as a physically healthy body.Experts say the primary reason for a holistic approach to overcoming RPG addiction is many addicts have underlying issues such as depression, social anxiety or even autism. These issues also happen to be the reason Internet addiction is not recognized as a separate disorder by the American Psychiatric Association.RPGs are a safe way for these “addicts” to connect with other people. You can interact with other people without having to leave the safety and comfort of your own home, no one can see you or touch you, and you can do extraordinary things you’d never be able to do in RL.  Here lies the essence of the philosophical dilemma regarding technology. Does it keep us connected to people, or does it actually prevent us from forming human relationships?While Facebook or The Sims are markedly different beasts from World of Warcraft or Everquest, they provide similar outlets for social contact. The creatures you’re in contact with may not always be real, but you still develop a very real sense of community and a very distinct identity of your own.That confidence in your identity and sense of belonging is what every human searches for. Finding it in a World of Warcraft guild seems harmless enough, but it’s easy to see how it could still be unfulfilling and thus become an addiction — a hole which can never quite be filled.The very things which make RPG’s feel “safe” — lack of physical contact or face-to-face interaction — are the very things which make it ultimately unfulfilling as a lifestyle.People need other people. If you feel yourself relying too heavily on your Facebook or your WoW guild, take a shower. Then find me in the newsroom to pick up your free hug — I’m committed to stopping the epidemic. Even if it means joining the Horde. Sara Boyd is a 22-year-old general studies junior from Baton Rouge.  Follow her on Twitter @TDR_sboyd.—-Contact Sara Boyd at [email protected]