Addiction To Online Games Harmful

Dr. Shyam P Lohani

It is often fine for us to do things we enjoy. We all love to play games on our mobile phones. Playing games is fun and it helps in reducing stress. It is not harmful to play games on mobile phones as long as it is within limits. However, when an excessive amount of time is spent on mobile games, it may turn to be an addiction. 

With the rapid development of mobile technology, many functions of desktop computers have been transferred to mobile devices and also game applications. Addiction to mobile games is a huge problem globally and the number of people addicted to mobile games is only increasing by the day. Oftentimes, what happens is we sit down to play a mobile game for a few minutes and we end up wasting hours without noticing it.

Effects

To release stress, we play mobile games for hours, which, in turn, adversely affect our physical and mental health. The coronavirus pandemic resulted in a long period of lockdown and was somehow responsible for an increase in online mobile game addiction and continuous long-time internet usage. Recent studies have shown that internet usage and online gaming will continue to grow during the rest of 2022, which is likely to help mobile gaming addiction become an even more serious problem worldwide.

There are two major types of video games played over mobile phones. Standard video games are generally designed to be played by a single player and involve a clear goal or mission such as reaching a destination. These games are aimed at completing a mission or beating a high score or preset standard. Online games with multiplayers are another type of video game addiction. These games are played online with friends and are especially addictive because they generally have no clear mission. Gamers with this type of addiction enjoy creating and temporarily becoming online characters. 

Addiction of mobile games is confirmed if we have five or more of these signs in one year to have a problem such as thinking about gaming all the time, feeling bad when we can’t play, needing to spend more and more time playing to feel good, not being able to quit or even play less, and not wanting to do other things that you used to like. Other signs are having problems at work, school, or home, lying to people close to you about how much time you spend playing, and using gaming to ease bad moods and feelings. 

Mobile game addiction primarily shows both mental as well as physical symptoms. Some of the emotional signs or symptoms of such addiction include feelings of restlessness and/or irritability when unable to play, reoccupation with thoughts of the previous online activity or anticipation of the next online session, lying to friends or family members regarding the amount of time spent playing, isolation from others in order to spend more time gaming, anger issues, and depression.

 Physical symptoms of video game addiction include fatigue, migraines due to intense concentration or eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome caused by the overuse of a controller or computer mouse, and poor personal hygiene. Video game addiction can have severe negative consequences like any other compulsive disorders. Although most of the mental and physical symptoms have short-term effects, they can lead to more severe long-term ones if not addressed properly. 

People addicted to video games will often avoid sleeping or eating proper meals in order to continue gaming. Hunger and fatigue are the short-term effects. But the games could eventually lead to a sleep disorder or diet-associated health issues. Such people isolate themselves from others in order to play video games. They usually miss out on family events, outings with friends, or other events temporarily. Eventually, addicts might find themselves without any friends at all.

The long-term effects of this addiction are the financial, academic, and occupational consequences involved. Video games and video game equipment can be very expensive as they usually need a high-speed internet connection for online multiplayer games. Such games are often time-intensive, leaving addicts with less time to focus on their education or career.

Solution

It is, however, difficult but not impossible to solve mobile game addiction. The best approach is to learn to play mobile games without being obsessed with them. To keep the amount of time spent gaming under control, it is suggested to set time limits for play and stick to them. It is wise to keep phones and other gadgets out of the bedroom so you won’t play into the night. We can avoid long-term sitting to play mobile games with other activities such as exercise. 

This will substantially decrease health risks of sitting and playing for a long time. Moreover, it is suggested to contact a therapist if you are unable to stick to reasonable timeframes or strike a healthy balance between online and offline life.

(Dr. Lohani is the clinical director at the Nepal Drug and Poison Information Centre. lohanis@gmail.com)