Does Neopets Stay With You Throughout The Day?

Inspired by my elation, I wondered if other players were affected by Neopets as much as I am. Does a cool accomplishment, like a trophy or avatar, have you floating on cloud nine for weeks? Does a new Neofriend have you taking time out of real life to spend time chatting with her every afternoon? Do you forgo buying a new pair of designer jeans because you'd rather spend your money at the NC Mall?

I thought I'd canvass the Neoboards and ask my fellow players why they're always thinking of Neopets when they're away from their computers. Why do they obsess over Neopets, even when they won't be able to log on until eight hours later? I got many intriguing replies! Thanks, everyone, for replying to my threads on the Neoboards!

So here is my list of how Neopets tends to stay with us throughout the day! I hope you enjoy reading it! I certainly enjoyed gathering it!

One player admitted that he will never log into Neopets on any computer other than his personal laptop at home. Though his school has a huge and impressive computer lab, he's sure that he'll forget to log out from the school computers, which is why he'll never use a school computer for Neopets. His guardedness stays with him throughout the day, especially at lunch time, when his friends log into Neopets and he does nothing more than watch them play. His determination to keep his account safe is something that stays with him throughout the day!

There are also projects that people do in their spare time, such as making drawings for the various Spotlights on this site (such as the Beauty Contest, the Art Contest, and the Petpet Spotlight). People also brainstorm written projects (such as Neopian Times articles and Poetry Contest entries). I think this is an uplifting way to spend one's real life spare time!

For people who are in school, chatting about Neopets with their real life friends is a popular pastime. They discuss their latest accomplishments, their love of their favorite games, and the coolest ways to customize each other's pets. I think this is charming, and I love encountering Guilds that are composed mainly of real life friends!

And speaking of friends, our relationships with our Neofriends are usually rich, meaningful and full of significance. I consider three of my Neofriends to be not just Neopets friends, but real life friends that I chat with nearly every day. When I'm away from my computer, I think about their struggles, their demons, their joys, and their real lives. I hope that they get over their illnesses, that they pass their exams, and that they finally get that puppy they wanted. My life is richer for having known these excellent and diverse people, and I love the way I think of them throughout the day as being my true friends, and not random gamers!

The Neopets dream was a favorite subject on my threads, and people merrily posted their most bizarre and hilarious dreams. What a fun and completely weird way of spending one's sleeping hours! I guess that's just one more way that Neopets stays with us, even when we're away from our computers!

Many players admitted that they obsess over the site whenever a plot or event is going on. No matter that they're in school that day, and won't be able to access a computer until after band practice. They think literally nonstop about the plot or event, and race home as soon as possible to complete the latest steps!

I've identified something I've nicknamed the "OMG OMG OMG effect." This effect happens when you've been killing yourself over a game for months, trying to reach a high score, to no avail. Then, later on, you learn a trick that is guaranteed to help you score big! The "OMG OMG OMG effect" is that moment where you're anxious to race to your computer, and are crazily jiggling your feet with impatience. What a horrible, but also awesome, way for us to obsess over Neopets when we're away from our computers!

Now that I'm a working adult, I often wonder what I'm missing while I'm away from my home computer. (Like the player I mentioned earlier, I never log into any computer other than my personal home computer, since I'm paranoid about forgetting to log out.) Gone now is my ability to access Tarla's Toolbar prize at various times throughout the day, or my ability to restock in the early morning hours when no one else is logged on. Every time the third of the month rolls around, I kick myself that I can't take advantage of Half Price Day. What a neurotic way of thinking about Neopets! I keep thinking that I'm missing out!

Several people proudly declared that they own Neopets T-shirts, purchased from Zazzle. I think this is a cool way of keeping Neopets in mind throughout the day! Now that I'm a working adult, I can't wear such casual gear during the day, but I have to admit, I would have loved to wear these shirts while I was still in school!

And the coolest phenomenon in which Neopets stays with the players throughout the day is…the Neopets tattoo! I recently received a Neomail from someone who read an old article of mine (where I admitted that I love goth music and tattoos) and confessed that she has four different Neopets tattoos on her legs and feet. She admitted that Neopets was her haven when she was younger, and that her real life problems were happily dwarfed by the fun she was having on the Neopets site. She was so grateful for Neopets that she went ahead and got four Neopets-themed tattoos later on, to commemorate her love of the site. Her Neomail was touching and emotional, and I wiped a furtive tear after reading it!

This article was unexpectedly heartwarming and sentimental, and I had a lot of fun writing it! Who knew that playing on Neopets was such a meaningful and poignant activity, even when we're away from our computers? I had no idea Neopets had such a hold on our hearts. Our love for the site happily seeps into our real lives, taking up our free time, and we're actually grateful for it!

Thank you, fellow players, for your valuable and thought-provoking insights! Stay tuned for future articles from yours truly, and have an amazing week!