look news india
Digital revolution has completely changed the meaning of entertainment in the lives of today’s young generation i.e. Gen Z. Only one dialogue is heard from the youth sitting with their eyes glued to the glowing screen of smartphone, laptop or gaming console till late night – “Just one more match… then I will sleep for sure!” But when this ‘one match’ lasts all night and when it takes the form of an uncontrollable addiction, even the gamers themselves are not able to guess. This obsession with online gaming seems to be taking a heavy toll on the health, mental balance, studies and personal life of the youth. Health experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) have also expressed serious concern over this increasing danger and have warned the youth and parents that this unbridled hobby of gaming has now come under the category of a serious mental disorder.
Gaming is no longer just a means of timepass or entertainment, rather it has become a virtual world for today’s youth where they try to run away from the stress of their real life. Multiplayer battle royale games like PUBG, BGMI, Call of Duty, Free Fire and Valorant attract the youth. The structure of these games is designed in such a way that after each level, the player feels dopamine, which encourages them to play again and again. The ‘insistence to win’ when losing and the ‘greed to increase rank’ when winning keep the youth glued to the screen. Due to this, problems like lack of sleep, carelessness in eating habits and irritability have become common.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially included ‘Gaming Disorder’ as a mental health condition in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). But the question arises that how to recognize when gaming has become more than a normal hobby but a disease? According to psychiatrists, if a person starts giving priority only to gaming, ignoring his daily responsibilities, studies, job and family relations, then it is a big red flag. When you start feeling restlessness, anger, anxiety or aggression when not playing games, or symptoms of insomnia and depression start appearing, then it should be understood that gaming has now taken the form of a disease.
The effect of playing games by sitting at one place for many hours continuously is not limited to the mind only, but it hollows the entire body from inside. The blue light emitted by watching screens late at night stops the secretion of our sleep hormone ‘melatonin’, which causes insomnia. Apart from this, physical problems like spine and neck pain (Text Neck Syndrome), dryness in eyes and weak vision, and weight gain (Obesity) are increasing rapidly due to sitting in wrong posture. Due to being constantly connected to the screen, the social circle of the youth is shrinking and they are becoming victims of isolation and depression.
If you or any member of your family is going through this situation, then it is very important to take right steps in time. For this, first of all the strategy of ‘Digital Detox’ will have to be adopted. Set a fixed time for gaming throughout the day and turn off screens at least 2 hours before sleeping. Parents should talk to their children in a friendly manner and understand their mental condition instead of shouting or scolding them unnecessarily. Engaging children with field games, outdoor activities, yoga and other creative hobbies like painting or music can prove to be an effective solution. If the situation seems to be getting out of hand, then seek the help of a professional counselor or psychiatrist without any delay.