Gaming Addiction

Nowadays, gaming has become a trend. Video game addiction, like all other addictions, is an impulse disorder. Gamers rely on their ability to play video games at all times. If they are unable to play their games when they want to play, they start to experience aggression and irritability. In the addiction for games, the gamers rely on the fantasy world that the games provide them that helps them to escape from reality, rather than relying on any substance.Playing games excessively negatively affect the brain, memory, and vision. They can cause stress, anxiety, and even isolation, if the addiction gets severe and it can even interrupt a person's sleep. The games involving violence affect people in a very bad way, making them violent and aggressive which effects their behaviour adversely.

The exposure to violent video games leads to isolation and aggression, as gamers induce a bad vision with them and see the society with the same vision, they sometimes even may face confusion about reality and fiction. It also takes away from a person, the basic traits of empathy and morality. The decreased practice of empathy related concepts, are believed to be implicated in the delay of moral development. In a study conducted by psychologist Craig A. Anderson,it was proven that children who play aggressive video games often have aggressive behaviour. They also have a decreased level of empathy for others. Others state thatviolent video games desensitizea child. This may make an adult less affected by violence as well as more likely to commit the violence himself.

Children playing violent video games have increased stress levels as they deal with stressful situations while playing a game by sitting on their chairs for long time. Violent games effects their health and mind as the gamers do not like to participate in activities which makes them fit which leads to health disorders like obesity, bad postures, muscular disorders, numbness in shoulders, hands and elbows, backpains. According to a research, conducted at the Council on Science and Public Health by DR. Mohamed K. Khan, constant video-gaming may put people at a risk of photosensitive seizures, a form of epilepsy triggered by constantly flashing lights and speedily moving objects. Thus, addictive video-gaming can lead to numerous health hazards. Video games can delay a person's sleep due to cognitive alertness. There is an increase in the emotional disorder symptoms and decrease in family interactions. Gamers spend most of the time playing online games and cannot spend time with their friends and family.

A research carried out by the National Institute for Media and the Family, Minneapolis, infers that video gaming addiction in kids may result in increase in the levels of anxiety and depression in them. Excessive video-gaming can thus have long-lasting psychological impact on an individual.

Uncontrolled addiction to video games hampers a child's performance academically as well. It hampers their overall performance and productivity.Gamers lack interest in studies and keep thinking about the games they are playing.

The most common treatment for video game addiction is cognitive behavioural therapy. There is no medication available that can be used to get rid of the addiction of gaming. Players need to learn themselves how to remove their focus from video games and cope up from their addiction.