Risks of Computer Gaming
Eye Disorders
Most video games require lengthy involvement to finish any particular game, forcing the player to stay focused on the screen during their playtime.
This can lead to the same issues caused by long-term television watching, including headaches, blurred vision, and even nearsightedness if frequent breaks aren’t taken to relax your eyes.
Prolonged bouts of video gaming can also cause symptoms very similar to Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS. Computer Vision Syndrome, as the name suggests, is caused by staring at a computer screen for an extended period of time without any significant breaks.
CVS, and the similar symptoms related to video games, can include blurry vision, eye irritation and light sensitivity, not to mention neck and shoulder pain.
These problems, except for the neck and shoulder pain, are caused by the way computers and televisions draw images on their screens using pixels. The neck and shoulder pain is caused by improper positioning of the computer monitor or television.
Addiction of Gaming
What is video game addiction?
Currently, there is no single universally agreed upon definition of video game addiction. There is no set number of hours one must play in ordered to be considered addicted to video games. Most definitions of video game addiction refer to excessive play which results in negative emotional, social, relational, educational, or career - related consequences.
Instead of devoting energy to "real-world" activities and pursuits, a video game addict spends most of his or her time playing games. Someone who has developed a video game addiction prioritizes gaming accomplishments over all other activities such as spending time with friends and family, school achievement, work performance, and interpersonal relationships.
Video game addiction may also be defined as a serious loss of control over gaming that leads to significant harm for the player in the real world.
What are the signs of video game addiction?
Initial efforts to define video game addiction were made by modifying the diagnostic criteria for known addictions such compulsive gambling. However, this informal method has not been widely adopted and as such, psychologists, psychiatrists, and researchers have been forced to define video game addiction without standardized diagnostic criteria. Definitions of video game addiction often include the following symptoms:
- Significant negative impact on work performance, school achievement, and / or interpersonal relationships
- Spending most of one's free time playing video games
- Frequently playing video games for six to eight hours non-stop
- Loss of interest in social activities
- Avoidance of personal responsibilities or commitments so that gaming can continue - Often staying up very late to play video games which regularly leads to feeling very fatigued the next day
What problems are caused by video game addiction?
Video game addiction obviously does not have the same impact on everyone who experiences it. In general though, the problems associated with unhealthy video game habits can be classified according to the five following categories:
- Emotional Problems
- Financial Problems
- Health Problems
- Social Problems
- Family Problems
People struggling with video game addiction may be at a greater risk for depression, loneliness, social anxiety, anger, and feelings of shame or embarrassment for spending so much time playing games. Note that these issues may be the result of video game addiction but may also play roles in the development of excessive play.
This is not typically an issue for children, but adults and adolescents may find themselves spending large sums of money on new computer equipment, consoles, subscription fees, and of course, new video games. Additionally, financial difficulties can occur when the person loses the motivation to work (a frequent occurrence), has his or her hours reduced due to poor job performance, or is fired.
People addicted to video games often develop poor sleep habits (due to late night gaming sessions), may neglect personal hygiene, may get very little physical activity, and may make poor choices with regard to eating (e.g., frequent snacking so that gaming can continue rather than having proper meals). Excessive video game play has been linked to childhood obesity.
As the addiction worsens, video game addicts tend to spend more time playing and less quality time with friends, family, or significant others. The addict may claim that he or she has "lots of friends online" yet still experience loneliness, depression, and social isolation due to the lack of in-person contact with others.
Family problems may be the most common difficulty for those who are addicted to video games. Although poor family relationships may increase the likelihood of video game addiction, video game addiction often leads to family conflict. Someone addicted to video games may accuse concerned family members of trying to interfere in his or her life, may be verbally or physically aggressive when others attempt to limit gameplay, and may try to hide just how much he/she plays. Parents with children or teens addicted to video games may disagree about how much of a problem it is or how to intervene.