Gaming Addiction : and Its
Effect?
By Dr. Ali Fourkan
The question of what is
online gaming addiction often
arises, coupled with questions about whether it is actually a real illness.
Most people assume that addiction refers only to drugs or alcohol, but in
reality, anything can become addictive if it interferes with everyday life.
Addiction is a pattern of behaviour that has negative consequences for the
individual and his or her loved ones. There is a real difference between liking
something a lot and it actually being an addiction. The two tend to get muddled
up, with many individuals believing that they are addicted to something just
because they like doing it. When it comes to activities such as online gaming,
addiction is very real and countless young people are developing habits that
are becoming problematic to themselves and others. In this article, we will
look at answering the question of ‘what
is online gaming addiction?’. We will also look at those most
likely individuals to be affected by it as well as the negative impact it has.
Can
You Get Addicted to Online Gaming?
Over the last decade or so, there
has been an explosion in technology, and the internet itself has become a
common part of daily life. Almost everything that we do involves technology to
some degree, and young people now spend most of their time glued to
technological devices of some kind. It is not uncommon to see young people
hunched over smartphones or other mobile devices, and even when groups of
teenagers are in the same room together, they will spend more time on their
phones than they do actually conversing with one another.
Playing with toys and board games
has also declined thanks to the rise of the online video game. Teenagers in
particular spend much of their time on the games consoles playing with friends
who might even be in a completely different town or country. The internet and
online gaming has made it possible for two people on opposite sides of the
world to play a game together in real time; as such, this type of activity has
become a massive part of millennial society.
Without any rules or regulations
imposed by parents, it is easy for young people to get so immersed in their
online gaming activities that they forget about other things in life, including
eating and sleeping. Youngsters are quickly developing online gaming addictions
because of this, but what is online gaming addiction?
An online gaming addiction is an
impulse control disorder and it affects individuals in the same way that any
other type of addiction does. There may not be as many physical symptoms as
there are with substance addictions, but it can have a negative impact on the
life of the person all the same.
The more video games someone plays,
the more he or she can become obsessed with them and hence other areas of life
may be neglected. Some players become so involved in the virtual world where
they spend most of their time that they find it hard to make connections with
people in the real world.
An online gaming addiction is a
psychological one. There may be no physical symptoms when the person is
prevented from playing games, but he or she may become irritable and angry
because of a sense that they ‘need’ the game to make them happy or feel better.
Spotting
the Signs of a Video Gaming Addiction
With the majority of gaming
addicts being young children and teenagers, parents should be alert to the
warning signs to prevent their child from developing an addiction that could
ultimately ruin their life. The most obvious sign to look out for is a
preoccupation with the game. If your child seems to want to do nothing but play
a particular game, then he or she could already have an issue with it. You may
notice that even when not playing the game, your child seems to talk about it
constantly.
The behaviour of the child may
also become erratic as he or she gets moody, irritable, and upset whenever not
playing the game. He or she might start to spend more and more time in the
bedroom playing games than in the real world with other people. If you have
noticed the above, it is wise to try to restrict gaming time. If this is met
with anger and frustration, then your child may already have a problem and it
is worth seeking advice.
People who are addicted to online
gaming tend to spend most of their free time playing games. They may lie to
their family members and friends about what they are doing due to being afraid
that if they tell the truth then they will have to cut back on playing time.
The affected person might spend hours and hours playing games, forgoing sleep
and eating. This can leave him or her feeling physically exhausted and it may
interfere with their ability to perform well in school or at work.
Young children could become so
tired that they cannot concentrate, and some will fall asleep during school.
Others will fall behind on their homework assignments because they are so busy
playing games. They may also lose interest in hobbies, sports, and other
activities that they once enjoyed. When an online gaming addiction begins to
interfere with the person’s daily life, it can ruin their prospects. Young
people and teenagers will fall behind in school and their grades will drop,
meaning their chances of reaching their potential can fall by the wayside. Relationships
with others will also suffer. Family members will often find it difficult to
understand why their loved one continues to play games the way they do when it
is causing such negative consequences. They fail to understand that their loved
one cannot stop themselves from playing. This is due to changes that have
occurred in their brain structure due to the addiction.
Treating an Online Gaming Addiction
When people ask us ‘what is
online gaming addiction?’, they are usually inquiring on behalf of a loved one.
It is hard to comprehend that this is an actual illness and one that their
loved one may find difficult to break free from. Nevertheless, the good news is
that, like other illnesses and addictions, an online gaming addiction can be
treated. While it is impossible to abstain from technology and the internet
completely in today’s world, a detox from gaming is usually the first step on
the road to recovery. To help the patient break the cycle of addiction, it
might be necessary for him or her to attend an inpatient facility where there
will be no access to video gaming. During a programme of rehabilitation,
professional counsellors will work closely with the individual to help him or
her get to the root cause of the addictive behaviour. Family therapy sessions
could also help the entire family to get back on an even keel. It is typical
for counsellors and therapists to use methods such as cognitive behavioural
therapy to help the individual change his or her maladaptive behaviour. The way
the addict thinks will have to be changed, which requires hard work and
patience. He or she will have to learn to identify priorities and may need to
learn that certain responsibilities in life should always come first.It can be
difficult to completely break an addiction to online gaming because it is so
accessible due to mobile devices capable of accessing the internet. Treatment,
therefore, is about teaching the individual how to set strict limits on game
time and implementing tools and skills that will help them stick to these
limits. If you are worried about yourself or a loved one, please call us here
at Addiction Helper. We are a referral service that works hard to help those
affected by all types of addiction, including online gaming addiction. We will
assess your situation to determine the severity of the problem and will work
with you to find a treatment provider that will help you or your loved one.
The
writer Teacher & Columnist
8801611579267
dr.fourkanali@gmail.com
published
The daily News Today.com.bd
16.10.2017
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