I think you make a good point though. For a lot of people this isn't just a game, but a way of life. I say this as someone who plays WoW pretty hardcore. It differs, however, from your cocaine analogy in that it's not a physical addiction; you're not going to have physical withdrawal symptoms (psychological, maybe) when you quit playing. For me, though, the game is still fun, and I have a lot of in-game friends that I enjoy hanging out with, but when it becomes boring to me, or too much like work, then I doubt I'll have much trouble pulling the plug. Your IT friends will have to face the realization that they've spent hundreds and hundreds of hours of their time doing absolutely nothing of any real value with their time. I think that's the main reason people end up feeling that "it's reached a point where they can't stop."
