A few years ago, video games became a hit all over the world, especially among children and adolescents. Instead of playing tag or any kind of outdoor sport with the sun’s rays shining on their healthy, tanned bodies, youngsters now prefer to stay indoors, sprawled on a sofa while playing on consoles. Sometimes children don’t want to go out and interact with ‘real people’ and neglect their families, studies or jobs because they are too busy with their ‘virtual’ lives. They don’t want to be disturbed most of the time and tend to hide inside their virtual shell. They are petulant and reduce their duties. Can this be called an addiction to computer games?
There are debates about gaming addiction. Despite research on the subject, it is still not clear whether it is a psychological disorder or not. Some experts say that playing video games could make you addicted, but at this time it is not considered a mental disorder. However, there is a possibility that it could be considered as a mental disorder from the year 2012.
Being addicted to gaming is the same as being addicted to other things like alcohol or drugs. It could also be compared to compulsive gambling. However, addiction is much more related to young people than other types of addiction.
A survey was conducted last year in April and found that around 8.5% of children and adolescents who play electronic games are already ‘clinically addicted’ to them.
Computer games that are especially addictive are ‘massively multiplayer online role-playing games’ (MMORPGs).
Why are these types of games more addictive? There are things that motivate a person to them. Playing is not just about fun, emotional reasons can also affect you, such as rewards, freedom, and interaction with other players. In real life, we have problems and most of the time we can’t do anything about it. In virtual life, we can control our lives and when we make mistakes or die, we can get another chance and try again.
You can check if a person is addicted to computer games by observing their behavior. As mentioned above, people who are addicted to computer games tend to be socially withdrawn. They are moody and feel depressed. If these behaviors damage your relationship with other people, then you should be alarmed.
In addition, they pay little if any attention to their responsibilities, such as studies and homework for students and work for employees and employers. People addicted to computer games also tend to lie more. They also can’t refrain from playing with them even if they feel very tired and unhealthy. There are also physical signs that indicate if a person is addicted to a computer such as very dry eyes, headaches, loss of appetite, neglect of personal hygiene and general physical condition.