A popular past time among today’s young people is playing video games. They have taken the place of the board and card games of the past because of the attractive interactive qualities. A person can spend hours engaged in a virtual game of their choice; they control the action. The downside is that medical and mental health professionals seem to think this type of fun can turn into an addiction.
How does one know how much gaming is too much gaming? One major red flag of video game addiction is withdrawal. A gaming addict will withdraw from peer and family circles in order to play a game. The game becomes his or her sole concern, supplanting other relationships. In order to hide the addiction, the person may lie about how many hours he or she plays the game and try to rationalize why it is not a big deal.
A gaming addict’s school and work performance suffers immensely. If he or she is in school, the person’s grades will drop due to game obsession. A person in the workforce with video game addiction begins to be late for and miss work regularly. This can result in the loss of a job in addition to future employment problems.
A gaming addict will also misuse his or her money when it comes to video games. Instead of paying bills or buying food, the gaming addict will spend entirely too much money on technology to upgrade a gaming system or buy new games unnecessarily. The video game addict will think obsessively about gaming instead of the more important things in his or her life. These may include forgetting to shower, eat, pay bills and spend quality time with his or her loved ones.
Video game addiction can also cause physical complications for an individual. The addict may develop carpal tunnel syndrome, even migraines. Because the gamer is seated for hours upon hours, back pain can ensue; the stiffness and soreness could turn into more chronic back problems.
Sleep disturbances are also a big sign of gaming addiction. Narcolepsy, insomnia and sleep apnea can all result from the misuse of gaming technology. Lesser-known sleep disorders such as nocturnal myoclonus (periodic leg or arms jerks during sleep) and parasomnia (sleepwalking, talking in your sleep and nightmares) can also occur.
Studies have shown that people who are considered awkward or shy are at a greater risk of developing a video game addiction. Males more so at than females. To counteract this make sure you have something productive to do with your free time — preferably something social. Joining a club or organization can be fun and socially stimulating.
Video games are not the enemy and should never be thought of as such. As long as they are played in moderation — like anything else in life — they will not cause a problem. If you or someone you know may be suffering from a video game addiction, contact a mental health professional that is equiped to handle such things. For more information on video game addiction, consider: http://www.video-game-addiction.org.
