Online Gaming Addiction is Shaping Disorder among Youth During Pandemic, Is your Gaming Habit Under Control. The internet gaming and video game industries are booming in India and around the world, especially since the Covid epidemic and the subsequent lockdowns. However, the industry’s expansion has resulted in a problem: gaming addiction among children and adults.
Experts claim that during the lockdown, children’s fascination with gaming, which is part of a bigger problem of excessive screen time, soared as they were confined to their houses and turned to video games and other types of video content for entertainment.
On August 25, a 16-year-old from Andheri (East) fled his home after his father chastised him for spending ten lakh rupees from his mother’s bank account on in-game purchases while playing PUBG online over the course of a month. The adolescent had left a note stating that he would work and repay his parents in full and that he would not return home until then. The next day, police tracked out the teen and reunited him with his parents at Mahakali Caves.
Because her younger brother wouldn’t let her play online games on their father’s phone, a 16-year-old girl ate rat poison. A rickshaw driver’s daughter bought a bottle of rat poison from a neighboring medical store, then returned home and ate it in front of her younger brother.
These aren’t one-off incidents. Teenagers are becoming increasingly addicted to cell phones, internet gaming, television shows, and gambling. Experts say it may appear harmless at first, but it doesn’t take long for it to turn into an addiction.
The consequences are concerning: irritability, loss of appetite, rejection of outdoor activities, reluctance to socialize, eye issues, disruption of studies, and obesity, to name a few. To satisfy their desire for gaming, some children have even turned to criminality.
This tendency of spending more and more time on online games, according to healthcare professionals, is concerning and should be addressed immediately to avoid long-term health and behavioral difficulties. Experts warn that the addiction can get so severe that many people would play games at the expense of sleep and other typical activities like meeting friends, socializing, and participating in sports. This is true for people of all ages.
Read More: Halo Infinite Campaign Overview To Be Premiered Today, Release Time and More Info
How do You Know You have Addicted to Intense Online Gaming Addiction?
Video game addiction is a very serious problem for many people, despite the fact that it is not yet recognized as a diagnosable condition by the American Medical Association. According to recent studies conducted by the University of New Mexico, 6 to 15% of all gamers show symptoms that might be classified as an addiction. Though this illness can have serious repercussions for people who suffer from it, recognizing its signs and symptoms can be difficult at times.
The following are some of the emotional indicators or symptoms of video game addiction:
- When you are unable to play, you may experience restlessness and/or anger.
- Preoccupation with memories of prior online activities or excitement for the upcoming online session
- In order to spend more time gaming, lying to friends or family members about the quantity of time spent playing Isolation from others.
China Way to Curb Online Gaming Addiction
Beijing has passed new legislation to combat video game addiction among Chinese minors, and gamers under the age of 18 will henceforth be prohibited from playing games between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. On weekdays, gamers will be limited to 90 minutes, while on weekends and holidays, they will be limited to three hours. The Chinese government has established regulations limiting monthly spending to 200 yuan.
According to recent reports in the Chinese media, China’s regulators have placed clearance for new online games on hold for the time being.
India, he noted, also requires some form of regulation, not necessarily in the manner in which China has done it, but rather by counseling children on the bad impacts of gaming.
Read More: PUBG New State: The Release Date of PUBG New State got leaked on the internet
