I used to hear this and worse about Dungeons & Dragons.
I’ve never been into such games, so not sure if there is much truth to either. I do know, anyone can become hooked on most any type of interaction, be it real or artificial.
First thing to go when that happens, is the desire for Social Interaction. People can even use daily exercise as a means for personal fulfillment. Some end of preferring exercise over sitting with a family member or friend.
In other cases, the object of fascination is their new Apple cell phone.
“I used to hear this and worse about Dungeons & Dragons.”
I remeber these kids in my freshman college dorm who did absolutely nothing but play D&D.
They did not go to class, they hardly ate and of course had no contact with women.
A couple of them could not separate their lives from the game.
The kids down the hall who were drinking, getting high and snorting coke had far better outcomes.