Features

The Problem of Video Game Addiction

Darren Torain

When you are into playing video games all day, you could run into video game addiction. Being a gamer has become popular because people may use gaming as a hobby. But what people may want to know is that video game addiction is concerning and controversial?

Whenever you hop on a gaming system and you play an entertaining game, you may get the urge to play it constantly. You may be playing a game that just came out or an old game that you find interesting. However, when you are playing the game all day, you could face problems.

With the amount of gamers increasing daily, there is no telling how many players are getting addicted. For example, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are two commonly known gaming systems that kids are starting to enjoy but get easily addicted to (https://www.webmd.com). According to Hayden , DSU student, “The problem with video game addiction is that people become disconnected socially. When addicted to video games, people spend all their free time on the game instead of interacting with their family and friends in real life.”

Jeff, another DSU student, believes “the problem with video game addiction is when people let it affect their personal life.” When people let video games dictate their reality is also a problem with video game addiction. Some extreme cases of video game addiction result in people letting it take over their lives, For example, people being so addicted to playing video games that it hinders them from getting a job or even taking showers regularly.

Elijah of DSU states that, “Video game addiction can make people socially awkward. ”He feels that being on the game too much can cause problems with health and make one gain weight. Being addicted to video games and playing them all the time could change your perception of reality.”

There are ways you can prevent an addiction like this; you could place time limits on how long a child should play the game. If you see someone like a friend having problems being on the game too much you can encourage them to exercise or do other activities. Getting help from a doctor would be a good idea if you see somebody continuously playing games all night.

For years video games have become more common. The graphics have improved a lot and since the graphics got better, that gives people more motivation to spend money on new video games, which encourages them to play it even on cell phones, laptops, and other devices. Addiction to games has become more common and is starting to get compared to gambling, drug abuse, and alcoholism.

It is understandable that kids may get bored, but if you are on the game too much that may be concerning. There are other ways to interact with others besides talking in video game party chats. Players should go outside and find people to chat with instead of playing video games 24/7.

Image courtesy of Javier Zarracina/Vox

Excessive gaming has become a problem and kids are now spending too much time on the game and it could affect how they do in school. As a gamer myself I had problems with video game addiction. I realized that gaming all day wasn’t the solution. So I figured out a way to play less and find other activities.

Categories: Features, Gaming, Technology

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