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The terminologies like leisure, entertainment, recreation are more than familiar to everyone and they are found to be essential for revitalizing the mind and energy. The urge to do something refreshing makes the individual get involved in these activities which are adventurous and sounds cool.
These are the activities done off the job where an individual has no obligations regarding time, they can enjoy, have fun to get relaxed. No one can deny the fact that lifestyle and hobbies or activities done for leisure has an impact on the health and mental well being.
Gaming is one of the most popular recreational activities among all age groups. It includes the online and offline games played and accessed through various platforms like console e.g. X-box, Playstations, Personal Computer, laptop, mobile phones, tablets, i-pad, etc.
There are various genres of the game e.g. puzzle, action, strategy, adventure, sports, racing, arcade, skill-based and chance-based. They are played in different formats like single-player, multiplayer and massively multiplayer.
What Keeps the Individual Stuck to Gaming
The players can communicate with one another in real-time. The sense of competition and getting compared on social media platforms add thrill to them. Many games lack a fixed endpoint and it enhances the curiosity among the individuals.
Online gamers spend more time gaming than those who play offline games, mostly because of the social nature of these games. The virtual world of gaming offers a stage to the gamers to feel more confident and a place where they can escape from a dissatisfying reality. The admiration and the need to be praised among many other gamers provides them recognition and reputation in that world of gaming.
This state of being “high” or “euphoric” acts as stress busters to many especially the one with academic pressure, relationship issues, social anxiety, lack of compatible people or the one going through a rough patch in life. They get instant gratification and start finding belongingness in that.
The habit which develops casually for having entertainment or fun in free time soon behaves as a magnet to keep them attracted and involved in this virtual world of escapism.
Is excessive Gaming harmful to one’s Psychic
Gaming is considered to be at par with substance use disorders. It can be as addictive as cocaine and gambling. The person becomes obsessed about these habits of drinking, smoking or gaming and craves for the after effects and the sensation of pleasure they provide. As these are transient and temporary, the state of relaxation and satisfaction achieved needs to be continued and this compulsive need makes the gamers addicted.
It even makes individual incapable of doing his regular activities, hampers his/her productivity, relationships start to disrupt and it starts affecting the physical health. This brings it on the same spectrum as of drug and substance abuse.
The gaming behavior cases leading to distress or significant impairment in functioning have been reported in the academic press and clinical practice for many years. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been conducting activities related to the public health implications of excessive use of the Internet, computers, smartphones and similar electronic devices in response to concerns expressed by professional groups, WHO collaborating centers, academics, and clinicians about associated health consequences.
What do you mean by Problematic Online Gaming Behavior
The gaming behavior once started for the purpose of entertainment has the full potential to develop into a clingy habit. The symptoms include overuse, withdrawal, and tolerance. It leads to some consequences which prove to be negative for work, education and even social relationships.
According to Gentile et al, 8.5% of American children in the age group of 8-18 years were found to exhibit problematic gaming behavior.
The gaming behavior adapted to modify one’s mood soon develops into an addiction. The tolerance is increased i.e. gaming hour gets prolonged to feel the euphoria. If this is discontinued for any reason, people start to feel agitated. He becomes anxious and irritable. He gets angry and remains depressed. If they are prevented from playing there is high risk for them ending up into conflicts deteriorating their interpersonal and intrapersonal behavior.
An article by Mark Griffith published in the Journal of Substance Use explains the model of addiction within a biopsychosocial framework.
What are the Gaming Motivations
The age group mostly getting indulged in this habit is adolescents and young adults. In this period of transition, thrill and adventure is something which keeps them going. The peer group has a significant role in introducing others to these kinds of habits and the sense of self-esteem and pride becomes the thread to keep them tied to this.
The game designers apply a predictive algorithm to the games which keep the players hooked. They also target their behavioral psychology to the extent that gamers are not able to put their urge and excitement down.
The gamers feel excitement to achieve the game goals. When one level is crossed, they get enthusiastic about the next and so on. This is the mental dependency which provides confidence and self-satisfaction.
The group of people who are introverts has more chances of becoming an addict as they find this platform comfortable. They can interact with people, make new friends and acquire status as well as power in the game without being physically present.
The optimization of the gameplay and dominating others by competing and challenging keeps the gamer addicted. It reinforces the potentially addictive qualities by traversing the pathway of initiation, development, and continuation of gaming.
How Game Mechanics affect the Mind
The marvelous graphics of the games, their challenges, rewards, leveling up and the option to get it linked to their social media platforms and updating the same are some of the features which prove to be stimulating for the gamers.
The adventure and sense of winning provide them confidence and they find themselves worthy of appreciation. The gaming community entitles them with reputation and admiration for their gaming achievements. This motivates them to continue playing.
The stage provided to socialize which includes chatting, forming new relationships and teamwork adds enjoyment and zeal. The discovery of the game content i.e. exploring more, roleplaying by creating a customized game avatar e.g. sex, race, appearance, clothes and even profession.
All these features of the game affect the mind by enhancing and stabilizing the mood. It provides a sense of exhilaration and let them escape the reality of life. This subjective shift in the way they feel while gaming becomes a coping strategy to deal with day to day issues.
Gaming as a mental disorder- “Internet Gaming Disorder’ by the World Health Organization
According to the World Health Organization, Gaming disorder is defined in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) “as a pattern of gaming behavior (“digital-gaming” or “video-gaming”) characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”
There are some criteria to diagnose the Internet Gaming Disorder proposed by the American Psychiatric Association under Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5). If someone has five or more than five symptoms, it’s a need for them to take appropriate measures for their health and mental well-being.
The symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder include:
1. Preoccupation with gaming
2. Withdrawal symptoms when gaming is taken away or not possible (sadness, anxiety, irritability)
3. Tolerance, the need to spend more time gaming to satisfy the urge
4. Inability to reduce playing, unsuccessful attempts to quit gaming
5. Giving up other activities, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities due to gaming
6. Continuing to game despite problems
7. Deceiving family members or others about the amount of time spent on gaming
8. The use of gaming to relieve negative moods, such as guilt or hopelessness
9. Risk, having jeopardized or lost a job or relationship due to gaming
How to tackle
If this problematic behavior of addiction leads to a mental disorder or psychological issues, one should go and visit the doctor without any hesitation. There are de-addiction centers for internet and tech addicts. They can also get cognitive behavioral therapy which helps them to get over this dependency ad gain their productivity to the maximum.
The modifications in lifestyle e.g. inculcating habits of reading books, playing outdoor games, exercising, Yoga and Meditation, socializing with friends and family on outings and trips with minimal use of internet and gadgets get them back to normal life and they are able to face the real world.
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Photo courtesy iStock Photo.
