Have you ever liked something so much to the extent that you became so attached to it and found it hard to stop? If your answer is yes, then you are not alone. Addictions are a common problem that a lot of people struggle with.
We love exciting things, stuff that will put a spark in our hearts and get our minds racing. One of those exciting things is video games, and today we are going to talk about video game addiction, why it happens, and how it can be solved.
There’s a thin line between a hobby and an addiction. You must take the right steps so that you don’t cross this line. Keep reading to find out more!
What Is Video Game Addiction?
Experts have found it difficult to define video game addiction because some say it shouldn’t be classified as a problem when the person might just be enthusiastic about gaming. Another school of thought strongly disagrees and believes it is a disease.
To make things simple, we’ll define video game addiction as the excessive attachment you may have to video gaming, which limits and prevents you from performing well in other areas of life.
Video game addiction is more popular among men than it is among women.
What Are The Statistics?
Let’s look at the facts. All over the world, more than 2 billion people play video games. With the latest video game addiction statistics showing that out of this whopping number, 1% to 10% of these people are addicted to them. It might not surprise you to know that 94% of males have this addiction, while only 6% of females have it.
Causes Of Video Game Addiction
Just as the name implies, you can get a video game addiction when you play too many video games for a prolonged period. Video games are created in such a way that they aren’t too easy to win and they aren’t too difficult to make you stop playing. This tactic gives you just the right amount of motivation to continue playing, and this can end up in addiction for you.
Signs And Symptoms Of Video Game Addiction
Just like any other compulsive disorder, a video game addiction will show a few symptoms that can be a tell-tale that something is wrong.
If you suspect you have this addiction, or you are concerned about your loved one, run through this shortlist to find out if the case is a video game addiction.
- An intense need to play video games all the time.
- Feeling overwhelmed and sad when you cannot play
- Lying to your loved ones about the amount of time you play the video games
- Being consumed with thoughts of playing video games all the time
- Lack of productivity, going as far as not cleaning or having good hygiene because all the time is spent on playing video games.
Apart from these behavioral symptoms, there are a few physical symptoms that can point to the fact that you have a video game addiction. They are:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
Effects of Video Game Addiction
At the surface level, playing video games might not look very harmful to you, but in reality, it can lead to a whole lot of problems that can be very hard to pull out of. Some of the most common effects of video game addictions are:
Loss of Social Skills
If you insist on playing video games without caring to socialize once in a while, you’ll most likely lose friends and loved ones who can’t cope with your addiction.
Bad Sleeping Habits
Imagine playing a cool video game for up to 15 hours a day. What do you think will happen to your sleep pattern? It’s going to be disrupted. That is what playing games too much can cause you to experience. You get fatigued, weak, and have insomnia -which is the inability to sleep.
Increased Risk of Seizures
Video games might be exciting, but you can’t deny the effect that all the bright, flashing lights have. It can lead to an increased risk of seizures if you overdo it.
Increased Level of Aggression
Let’s be honest. What does the average video game portray? If you’re being truthful, you’ll say violence, killing, shooting, and all of that stuff. These sorts of video games are imprinted in your subconscious, and they can affect the way you interact with others. When younger children play these video games, they portray a very high level of aggression, especially to other children in their age grade. This can be very worrisome.
Irritability and Anger
When a person without a video game addiction is separated from a video game, there will be little or no sign of depression, anger, or other negative emotions. On the other hand, if you have a video game addiction, and you stop playing for a while, you will experience intense feelings of anger, and irritability.
Loss of Concentration
Consistent, prolonged playing of video games can make you lose concentration easily. It is widely believed that children who grow up to be addicted to video games will be less focused on their studies and anything else that requires attention and focus.
Treatment of Video Game Addiction
So, we’ve already established the fact that video game addiction can cause a lot of problems both for the person who suffers from it and his or her loved ones. As difficult as it might seem, it can be treated. These are the list of options that you can try out if you have a video game addiction or you know someone who does.
Group Therapy
Any addiction can leave you feeling alone and helpless, and a video game addiction is no different. Joining a group of people to talk about your struggles can help more than you know. Simply having a support system that understands and can relate to what you’re going through can prove to be profound and helpful.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Apart from group therapy, you can also try cognitive behavioral therapy. If you opt for this kind of therapy, an expert will help you get rid of all the obsessive thoughts that accompany addiction to video games. This mode of treatment is very effective and can help you make significant progress over time.
Individual or Family Counseling
Getting counseling and having someone to talk to you and walk you through the journey can be very helpful. The counselor or therapist can also decide to have sessions with your family too.
Conclusion
A video game addiction is no joke. It can wreck your social life and make you perform below average in many areas of your life, such as work, school, and even your relationships with people.
Yes! Most people addicted to video games end up losing friends and family.
If you suffer from this addiction, it’s not the end of the world. Just like any other addiction, with dedication, consistency, and the right support system, you can overcome it! We are rooting for you. Good luck!
