Drug and substance abuse gets the necessary attention it deserves. However, with the advancement of technology, addiction has taken new forms. Today, social media addiction is being given the appropriate time and importance before it spirals out of control.
There is one form of entertainment that has already taken roots in our society and that is video game addiction. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognizes ‘Gaming Disorder’ as a mental health condition.
As they say, prevention is always better than cure. Hence, this post is an attempt to spread awareness about identifying and preventing gaming addiction. Let’s get right to it.
Identifying Gaming Addiction
Various associations for mental health around the world have laid down certain warning signs to look out for in the case of a gaming disorder. However, this is merely a guideline and it is important to avoid self-diagnosis and approach a professional.
- Gaming as a dominant part of life – Unless someone is in a field of work that is related to gaming, such as gaming should ideally be restricted to a small part of their lives. It has been seen that in cases of addiction, gaming becomes a dominant part of the person’s life, and all other things like going out, meeting people, school, or work start revolving around it.
- Irritability when unable to play – No, we are not talking about children sulking once in a while when not allowed to play their favorite video game. This irritability is of a severe nature when a person is experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
- Use of gaming as an escape mechanism – Some forms of addiction can be traced to people looking for an escape from the negative environment at their home or workplace. The person may be trying to avoid a threat or a fear of failure and using gaming as a way to escape from the same.
- Inability to control urge – Addiction comes into the picture only when the person is unable to control their urge of gaming. Sure, once in a while succumbing to attractive offers like casino bonus code ohne einzahlung cannot be considered ‘inability. However, the continued inability to control gaming activity can be a warning sign to look out for.
- Negligence of social life – This is linked to an earlier point made about escape mechanisms. Many times, people who get addicted to gaming or any other activity start ignoring their social life. It first starts with canceling meetings with friends and ultimately ends with not paying attention to family.
Disclaimer – These are just a few warning signs and having a few or all of them does not mean you have an addiction. If you feel you have a gaming disorder, please approach a licensed medical practitioner.
Preventing Gaming Addiction
Most of the suggestions outlined below are easier said than done, but realizing that there is a problem and working towards solving it is definitely a good first step. Let us take a look at some of the ways of preventing a gaming addiction.
- Set time limits – As parents, it is always a good idea to set a time limit for video game time for your children. This not only encourages discipline but also prevents the development of an addiction. As adults, once you realize you are drifting off into the world of gaming without a care in the world, it is necessary to limit your game time and stick to it.
- Spend time on other hobbies – If the addiction problem is in kids, parents have an added responsibility to make sure that they spend more time with them. During this time, it is necessary to engage them in other interesting activities like reading, gardening, or sports which are healthier alternatives.
With adults, this is a bit tricky. No one likes to be told what to do. Life partners, family, and friends can take initiative to ensure that the person has other activities or tasks to accomplish so that they can be spending their time on non-gaming stuff.
- Digital Detox – It has been observed that the present gaming world has moved online to a large extent. In such a situation, having a digital detox once a week or more frequently may also help. This makes your brain wired to think that it is okay not to be gaming all the time. Obviously, all the steps above including this one must only be done after consultation with a registered medical practitioner if there is a gaming addiction or likelihood of it.
There have been studies that show that certain games actually help improve brain performance and hence gaming is not the villain here. It is just a matter of balance and once people realize that gaming should be treated just like any other entertainment mode, the situation will improve.
