Many online gaming platforms are quite popular among the youth in the country. Many games are played by millions of users every day. Recently, the Indian Government’s cyber security agency I4C has made a big revelation about gaming addiction and its side effects. The agency said in a post that online gaming is no longer limited to just entertainment, but it has now become an addiction among the youth, the bad effects of which are now visible.
Game design causes addiction
Citing the report of the National Institute of Mental Health and Medical Research (NIMHANS), the agency has explained what effect gaming addiction has on the brain. According to research, game making companies design games in such a way that players play them again and again. By playing games, the brain releases the chemical dopamine, which increases the desire to play and gradually it becomes addictive.
See Cyber Dost I4C’s post
Players get irritated
I4C said that due to addiction of playing games, players become irritable and get angry when they lose or even harm themselves. If an attempt is made to take the phone from the player, they get angry and become so angry that they even take the step of suicide.
How to recognize online game addiction?
It is very easy to recognize online game addiction. Some of its symptoms start appearing in the behavior of the game player:
- If someone keeps playing the game non-stop for hours.
- Get angry or irritable when they lose.
- Do not eat food on time or do not listen even when asked repeatedly.
- Performance in studies starts deteriorating or there is difficulty in concentration.
How to get rid of online game addiction
It is very important to recognize game addiction in children in time. Try to reduce it gradually, not suddenly. Understand it like this – if the child plays games for 4 hours, then limit him to the first 3 hours. After that gradually reduce it by half an hour.
If the child is sitting idle then teach him to do something productive. For example, you can teach things like drawing, painting, cycling, sports, music or swimming. This will keep the child’s attention from the smartphone.
There are 40 crore gamers in India
According to the E-Gaming Federation, there are more than 40 crore gamers in India, of which about 70% are under 24 years of age. It is estimated that about 15-20% people are victims of gaming addiction.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified “gaming disorder” as a mental illness. Studies by Observer Research Foundation (ORF), NIMHANS and other institutions have found that cases of gaming addiction are increasing, especially among the youth. Young people who spend more than two hours a day playing games have been shown to have a higher risk of addiction. These figures underline the urgent need for awareness and timely intervention amid the growing impact of gaming.
