Thomas Clasby
On January 28, 2015, sophomore Billy Gonzales was found disoriented at Hilltop Park, shouting nonsense about obscure sports, mediocre actors, and ancient history.
He was immediately taken to the hospital, where he was identified as suffering from a very peculiar form of overdose, and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Though this was his first trip to the hospital, Gonzales had long been showing signs of struggling with an addiction.
“He was no longer the bright, energetic boy he once was,” Mary Gonzalez, his mother, said. “His grades dropped, he’s always tired, and he just can’t put down his phone.”
The change began when Gonzalez began playing what seemed like an innocuous iPhone app. Little did he know, the app was actually a deadly and dangerous drug: Triva Crack.
All over the nation, innocent children and teenagers are falling victim to the app, which is believed to have been created by Latin American drug cartels.
Once they begin playing, people find themselves incapable of stopping. They do the unthinkable and continue to play in secret, during class, at work, and while eating dinner.
Addicts will often starve themselves of essential nutrients to continue playing.
“Billy used to go to sleep at 8’o clock sharp every single night,” Gonzalez said. “The next morning he would always eat a full breakfast of porridge and soy milk. Now, he stays up to ungodly hours – 10:30 the other night! Then he refuses to eat anything but toast, all so he can continue playing.”
Many addicts show an extreme anger following a loss in the game, according to Alex Jones, a professor of digital narcotics at Lesley University.
“The other day, one of my patients couldn’t correctly answer a question about Kemari, so he threw his phone to the ground and began throwing a temper tantrum, sobbing loudly and smashing up my office,” Jones said. “It took 15 doses of sedatives to get him back under control.”
For some, as in the case of Gonzales, the addiction worsens to the point that overdose occurs and hospitalization is necessary.
“The game asks such obscure questions that addicts must do research to improve their scores,” Jones said. “The research leaves them knowledgeable in subjects nobody cares about, and as a result, they are unable to properly communicate or socialize and become an irritation to society.”
Though treatment can save victims from the devastating effects, parents should pay attention to their children for signs of addiction. Early detection is key.
Gonzalez was lucky enough to survive, but all of America must be cautious to the dangers of Trivia Crack’s colorful quiz questions.
