Balance between MMORPG's and Real life?

I have been debating if there is the possibility to reach a balance between MMORPG's and real life. Games like that are just too demanding, especially if you get involved in end game activities. How good or how bad is to get too much involved. And how much is too much? Once a week, all weekend locked up in your room or your game room? How much do we neglect real life friends, activities and such.

My approach on this, relies on the fact that MMORPG's are truly not for the casual gamer, nor for the part time gamer. These games are built in a way, that if you want to get the most out of them, you need to get deeply involved, thus hurting and damaging your real life. Still, we play those games for unexplainable reasons!