I have a pretty pathetic story to tell. I went to a school where I was relatively popular, and had a close group of friends who I used to hang out with regularly. However, when I changed to a posh private school, I became very self-deprecating, since the people there were very judgemental. Over the 5 year period that I was at the school, I became very reclusive, staying at home playing video games, whilst the arrogant a**holes at the school went to "gigs" and "parties" that I couldn't care less about. These people were shallow and discriminating, and would insult my auburn hair colour without looking at the person within. I have become far less sociable, I quiver when talking to people, and I occasionally have nervous breakdowns. Video-games became my only source of self-release. I could talk to people online without worrying about their opinions, and every night when I came home from school it was the equivalent of a drug addiction, because it satisfied my craving. Video-game addiction is a very real thing, and from my own personal experience, it helps you get through some extremely tough times. At the same time though, I cannot help but wonder whether I would have tried harder to go out with friends and make new friends, if the Xbox 360 wasnt waiting there for me when I got home - I'm 15 now, and I'm changing schools, so perhaps things will be different now. Who knows?