Nowadays you can’t imagine children’s life without gaming. It can be a mobile game, console or computer, it doesn’t matter. The main problem is many of us don’t recognize how serious it can it may affect physiological and mental health. When the first game have appeared, nobody was able to predict that gaming can cause addiction. How can it be? It’s not drugs or alcohol, when you have a specific physical addiction, however, any addiction is dangerous and we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to this problem.
In fact, any civilized country has run into a problem of gaming addiction. Researches and reviews have showed up with an incredible statistics where 3-4% of gamers have been addicted to video games. You may not pay enough attention but it means that we have around 50-60 millions of people worldwide, who suffer from gaming and who need help.
Not so long ago WHO (World Health Organization) has officially classified Video Game Addiction as a mental health disorder. It’s a pattern of gaming behavior (“digital-gaming” or “video-gaming”) characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.
It’s really early to distinguish the whole list of negative consequences because this kind of disorder has appeared not too long ago, but we can name these: sleep deprivation, insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, depression, aggression and anxiety.
Psychotherapy was recognized as the best gaming addiction treatment. Working with psychologist or psychiatrist can help you not only to get rid off some mental disorder, but also to establish relations with your family and friends.
That is why you don’t have to spend all of your time online. Enjoy your life and be careful with your mental health, because it makes you as a human.
Resources:
Gaming Addiction Report 2022
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-health-effects-of-too-much-gaming-2020122221645#:~:text=Gaming%20has%20also%20been%20associated%20with%20sleep%20deprivation%2C%20insomnia%20and,the%20strength%20of%20these%20connections.
https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/addictive-behaviours-gaming-disorder#:~:text=Gaming%20disorder%20is%20defined%20in,the%20extent%20that%20gaming%20takes
Lately I hear about interesting research, it shows that brains of traders while trading have stimulated same areas as brains after sniffing cocaine.
Yes, indeed a very crucial case nowadays.
I believe that this topic is related to psychological trauma. For example, let’s take the situation when we were still children. Our parents forbade us to play computer games. By doing this, they created a specific psychological dependence on us without thinking. This problem is related to prohibiting and restricting children who want to play video games, creating a particular addiction when they grow up. Children who are already becoming adults begin to realize that they can do whatever they want because they are already adults.
Also, people try to create an illusion of their life by playing video games. They are trying to escape reality and immerse themselves in the world of computer games, where they can be whoever they want to be.
I see gaming as a great substitute for phone screen time. Replacing scrolling social media and gazing at YouTube with a couple of hours a day of console gaming really helped me normalize my digital presence. And I know as a proven fact that social media like TIktTok are much more addicting and harmful than gaming.
Yes, it’s a real problem. I read a article about links between gaming and depression, that some people play video games to much because its their way to cope with their depression. Very interesting!
It’s difficult to avoid screens completely, especially with their importance at work and school. However, excessive screen time can affect a persons mental, social and physical health – that is totally true. And to be honest,it is hard for me to understand how this problem can be solved.
I don’t think there’s any other solution than self control. Big companies will keep pushing more and more attractive games and versions of social media because it brings them money. You just have to wake up on your own and realise how much damage it causes to both your reward center(as your mesolimbic pathway overrides your mesocortical one) and to your social life. Too many people nowadays see it as a replacement to actual human interaction. Games are inherently extremely addictive, as they give you a sense of progress and conquest without much effort.
Of course, I completely agree that playing games can be addictive. Especially for people who start at a very young age. But for many people, playing games is like therapy or a form of escape from problems. I think the most important thing is to control how much time we spend per day.
This is a really interesting and crucial topic. With the rise of gaming in recent years, it’s important to know the potential dangers and risks. Primary, parents should be aware of this issue and monitor the amount of time their children spend on gaming. However, it’s great that there are also treatments like psychotherapy to help those who may be suffering from gaming addiction.
Gaming can become addictive for some individuals, just like any other activity that gives pleasure can become excessive. Excessive gaming can lead to negative consequences such as social isolation, decreased academic and neglect of physical and mental health. Though we should remember to note that not all gamers are addicted, and the majority of gamers play in a balanced and healthy way. The key is to find a balance between gaming and other life activities. If gaming starts to negatively impact a person’s life, it may be an indication of addiction and professional help should be sought.
I know a lot of people who have problems with their addiction in this area. It is really scary to see how much time they are spending on playing games