Breakfast Topic: Does your employer know you play WoW?
Recently I talked about WoW skills being useful in the workplace. My stance is that they are. Skills are skills. The whole "WoW has nothing to do with real life" viewpoint baffles me. Are you a real person gaining knowledge you didn't have before? Are you teaming up with real people in game? Then it's real life. But I digress.
Regardless of whether or not you utilize some of your Azerothian skills at work, you may not be open about where you got them. Many people believe that all video games are a waste of time -- even people who play them (particularly those who believe WoW has nothing to do with real life). And the number of people who think everyone who plays is addicted doesn't seem to be getting any smaller. World of Warcraft? More like World of Warcrack! AmIrite? /sigh
Some supervisors are guilded with their employees. Some play at work. Some don't play WoW but understand that leisure time is leisure time -- as long as it doesn't interfere with work performance, who cares?
Unfortunately, too many employers believe that the video game stigma is valid and judge their employees accordingly. I briefly had a part-time job at a major retail chain here in the United States. I worked in different areas as needed and was therefore trained as a cashier. While learning the procedures, I was told that I had to check the ID of anyone buying a game with an M rating. "You know video games are dangerous, right? Some of them have porn in them," said my supervisor. Her face was disfigured with disgust. I didn't contradict her. I was a little frightened. I kept my video game playing to myself.
What do your supervisors think of World of Warcraft? Do they know you play? If they don't, why not?
