The world escapes from economic reality.

It seems that, around the world, adults are escaping from economic reality. Everywhere, in houses and apartments in developed cities around the world, fully grown adults are escaping reality into alternate worlds. They are fleeing the economic troubles all around them. What are they doing? They are playing video games.

Sales in the video games industry are up 43% on last year - which is really a lot of growth for any industry to undergo in one year - especially in a year of economic decline. Instead of cutting back on such "luxury" and seemingly unnecessary items as video games, adults around the world are making sure they splash out on these highly distracting items. Now, video games are not cheap, particularly console games - but they do offer something other forms of distraction do not offer: many, many hours of complete absorption. Quite simply, it is impossible to think of the global economic meltdown when you are playing an intense computer video game.

In the days of the Great Depression, it was a trip to the movies that provided distraction and consolation from the universal troubles all faced; now it is the video game.

I find it interesting that people are fleeing their situations in this way. It shows, in some respect, that they are choosing not to face up to the problems, but are, instead, turning their minds away from them and hoping that they will go away in the midst of their video game playing.

Now, I can understand the common desire to find sanctuary from the problems that people face - but, while it might be psychologically beneficial to do so - in terms of lessened stress etc. - it may actually be counter-productive. For if people are hiding from their troubles, then they are not actively seeking ways to deal with them. This could lead, in turn, to a heightening of the very troubles they face.

Perhaps, people are not so very different from ostriches, with their head in the sand ways. It is just that any sand that people see nowadays, will be digitized, in computerized dunes, in never ending games.

Then again, it must be good to be a computer games manufacturer. Just think of their business model: in good times, sales will, by definition be good - but in bad times, they will be BETTER. Wow...they have really got something.

The funny thing is, though, I haven't played a single computer game since the crisis began. My reaction is not, though, it seems, typical: I am outnumbered by legions of dedicated reality escapists, around the world, playing away in darkened rooms, while the economy burns.

I bet the games industry is just about the only industry hoping that the recession will be a long one.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

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