Death by EverQuest? The MMO Addiction Panic

In 2001, a tragic suicide stirred fears that MMORPGs would leave a trail of addicts in their wake. The MMO industry handled the situation poorly. So how did it manage to avoid a full blown moral panic?
Video sources:
Level1undercon - EverQuest 2nd Floor Dalnir Group: • Video
Vetlive - Valheim: Large Dock House Build: • Valheim: Large Dock Ho...
Dips - My Grandpa and his Asheron’s Call: • My Grandpa and his Ash...
Old Classic Retro Gaming - Arcade game: Death Race (176 Exidy): • Arcade Game: Death Rac...
ESRB - ESRB PSA ad: Rating Summaries: • ESRB PSA ad: Rating Su...
World Health Organization (WHO): WHO - Gaming disorder: questions and answers (Q&A): • WHO: Gaming disorder: ...
Aulddragon - Let’s Briefly Player “Neverwinter Nights” (AOL) - • Let's Briefly Play "Ne...
Sources:
Rawn Shan and James Romine. Playing MUDs on the Internet. ISBN: 9780471116332
Cyndee Fontana and John McNicholas. SJSU student arrested for computer fraud. Spartan Daily Volume 76, Number 66. Monday, May 11, 1981.
Sucked deep into cyberworld fantasy of EverQuest, man commits suicide billingsgazett...
EverQuest creates a trail of cyberwidows: www.chicagotri...
It's time to rescue the EverQuest Addicts: www.smh.com.au...
The Norrathian Scrolls: A Study of EverQuest (nickyee.com)
• CBS 48 Hours - ADDICTE...
PC Accelerator June 1999. Pg. 80-81.
EverQuest: The Latest Addiction: www.wired.com/...
On-Line Gamers Anonymous: www.olganon.or...