Games that youths play have evolved over the years.

In the past, most youths spend

their spare time playing outdoor games or doing physical exercises. Most would probably be
playing badminton, football, hockey and rounders or jogging, hiking or swimming. However,
as now we are living in a new millennium where technology and innovation have taken the
world by storm. Advancement in technology has impacted many lives and the things we do.
As far as spending leisure time is concerned, youths today are switching from outdoor
games to ‘mobile games’. Although this is an alarming issue, yet for some it is just another
form of entertainment. Research has also shown that addiction to mobile games has
several negative consequences. Mobile games addiction corrupts one’s life as it can
endanger mental and physical health, hinder success and inhibit socialisation.

Addiction to mobile games is detrimental to health. Addicts are so engrossed in

playing mobile games that they skip meals and sleep. Lack of proper nutrition and sleep can
negatively affect their health. Additionally, addicts suffer from backaches, headaches, eye
strain and also numbness in their wrists, hands, shoulders and their elbows. Children that
are addicted to mobile games suffer from childhood obesity. As addicts spend all their free
time gaming, they have no time for anything else. They are unkempt and lack personal
hygiene. Hence, playing mobile games is tolerable when done in moderation or otherwise, it
may even lead to death.

On the other hand, mobile game addiction corrupts one’s life as it hinders success.
Loss of sleep and a decrease in alertness can result in lower academic or work performance.
Addicts fail to work at their optimum level as they are exhausted staying up late at night playing
mobile games. Research shows that gamers have problem falling asleep and paying attention if they
play more than two hours a day. Besides, instead of doing homework, working, playing sports, being
with friends, addicts waste time playing mobile games. Concisely, excessive gaming endangers an
individual’s chances of achieving their full potential. This waste of talent hurts not only the
individual, but also the society as a whole.

Furthermore, game addiction, similar to substance addiction, alienates people. Addicts are
unable to participate in any outdoor activities because they are constantly thinking about mobile
games. They abandon friends, family, decline social events with personal interaction and prefer
discussing about mobile games on the Internet. Most addicts lack social life as they withdraw from
society and devote entire life on mobile games. As a result, real life relationships are disrupted.
When they are interrupted from games, they feel threatened and distracted. Sometimes, they get
irritated and aggressive. Addicts also have a problem interacting with family members. They
consider family and friends a nuisance, while characters from the game as family members. Thus,
the addicts feel that their life is meaningless without gaming.

On the whole, countless youths are suffering from mobile game addiction. Mobile games
contain enough hazards to critically corrupt one’s life. Parents need to start limiting their children’s
time spent on gaming. Currently, many parents see nothing wrong with mobile games; some may
even believe that gaming benefits their children. However, beware that, major manufacturers hire
expert psychologists to ensure the game is addictive. Therefore, we need to raise awareness about
mobile games before it becomes game over for our youths.