INTRODUCTION

Online Gaming Addiction

Have you ever had an addiction, did you know that video
games could be a harmful addiction to the body? There
are many different type of games and consoles in the
world, and being played worldwide. Video gaming has
become a really popular industry everywhere in the world
and has been growing exceptionally throughout the past
20 years. Gamers that are addicted to online gaming have
been picking up terrible habits that is affecting their future
such as, social skills, obesity and lack of sleep. These
negative habits will affect gamers in the long run in ways
such as health, jobs and relationship. Most people who are
addicted don’t understand how awful video games can
be for your future. Although gamers want to have the
dominance in the online gaming that they lack in their day
to day lives and that’s one main reason why people get so
addicted to online gaming. Therefore, dominance is
something everyone wants but it takes a lot of dedication
and time to get it and people are willing to do that, even
though social media has influenced a lot of people to
pursue dominance of a game. Social media has driven a
lot of people to play video games with how video games
are being marketed daily on the internet. With all this being
said there is a lot of reasons why video games can be
addicting in today's world.
BACKGROUND
In our modern world, the internet has become an integral
part of our daily lives, enabling us to be more connected
and efficient than ever before. But our move online has
also resulted in the serious and growing global
phenomenon of internet addiction.

What is internet addiction?

Internet addiction manifests when excessive internet use

starts to affect someone’s life, causing impairment or
distress. There are various types of internet addiction, from
social networking and gambling to pornography and
gaming.

Internet gaming addiction, also known as Internet Gaming

Disorder (IGD), is now recognised as a mental health
condition that can have major consequences for an
individual’s wellbeing.

Dr Vasileios Stavropoulos, a senior lecturer in clinical

psychology and coordinator of the Gaming Research
Group at Federation University Australia, says six criteria
must be met in order for excessive internet gaming to be
classed as an addiction.

That criteria includes a frequent preoccupation or

obsession with internet gaming, progressively higher doses
of gaming to achieve the same outcome, using gaming to
modify mood or feelings, conflict with others due to
dysfunction in the gamer’s other roles, failing in attempts to
curb or stop gaming, and withdrawal symptoms when not
gaming online.

“Anyone who presents with all six of these characteristics

gets a diagnosis but if some do not present with all six and
present with some of them, we tend to think that they are
at high risk of Internet Gaming Disorder,” he says.
While the incidence of online addiction has grown in the
past decade, it’s still an emerging area of research. Dr
Stavropoulos says a 2010 Tasmanian study of more than
1300 students indicated 4.6% met the six criteria for internet
addiction but little is known about the national prevalence
of the condition.

Who is most at risk?

Dr Stavropoulos, who has studied the impact of internet

addiction and excessive online gaming on adolescents,
says studies show male adolescents, particularly those
aged 16 to 18, are generally at higher risk than female
adolescents. But new research has shown that female
students who are struggling at school and who experience
hostility in the classroom are vulnerable to addiction,
turning to the internet as a refuge and a place to find
acceptance and connection that they are not finding at
school.

“What makes people addicted to the use of online games

has been found to be mainly the online socialisation
aspect, so they get in contact with other gamers. It’s what
we call internet paradox because this medium, which has
been designed to advance communication between
individuals, ends up making them more isolated in real life,”
he says.

“Gamers compensate the lack of relationships in real life

with online relationships, and what makes online
relationships more attractive to individuals has to do with
three things – anonymity, escapism and convenience.”

What makes internet gaming addictive?

Research shows Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing

Games (MMORPGs) can increase the symptoms of internet
addiction.

Dr Stavropoulos says the games create ‘online flow’, where

gamers are absorbed by the game action, coupled with
the psychological state of telepresence, where gamers’
perceptions fail to accurately acknowledge the role of
technology in their experience.

MMORPGs also enable gamers to create and develop a

character, known as an avatar, that reflects who they
would like to be in the real world.

“This virtual identity often reflects their idealised self – you

can choose who you are and you can choose the way
other people see you. You can be who you want to be
and that’s the power of the game,” he says.

“It’s what we call augmented reality. It’s a part of reality

but it’s also augmented with fantastic elements that make
it very absorbing and attractive – it’s like living your fantasy
in many ways.”

Dr Stavropoulos says MMORPGs feature constant

development and rewards, enabling gamers to develop
skills to achieve higher levels, which provides an immediate
sense of satisfaction.

Despite the games often being played in isolation in the

real world, they drive communication online, enabling
gamers to socialise in gaming groups, called guilds or
clans.

How is Internet Gaming Disorder treated?

The evidence-based psychological talk therapy Cognitive

Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is used to treat internet addiction.

Dr Stavropoulos says group therapy is crucial in helping

gamers to develop relationships and improve how they
relate to others while individual therapy assists gamers to
address gaps between their virtual identity and their real
self.
Dr Stavropoulos also urges caution against using
medication, such as mood modification-related
medication, to treat internet addiction.

“The gamers’ main driver is to change the way they feel,

and if they find that there is a chemical way of modifying
their feelings, we may address the behaviour form of
addiction, transforming it into a substance-related form of
addiction.”

Disconnecting problem gamers

Dr Stavropoulos says it’s imperative we move to protect

adolescents at risk of internet addiction with the
introduction of measures, similar to responsible gambling
legislation and regulations.

“In terms of prevention, there needs to be a legal

framework that will oblige the companies making these
games to protect gamers,” he says.
 WHAT CAUSES VIDEO GAME ADDICTION?

Video games are designed to be addictive using

state-of-the-art behavioral psychology to keep you
hooked. Games are immersive experiences that provide
you with a high amount of dopamine, and overexposure to
this level of stimulation can cause structural changes to
your brain 1 .
You begin to live in a world where you expect instant
gratification. Games are so immersive that it’s easy to play
for hours and hours without even noticing that a minute has
gone by. They allow you to escape and see measurable
progress. They are social and create an environment
where you feel safe and in control.
Game developers also deploy manipulative game design
features such as in-app purchases, microtransactions,
and loot boxes that some governments have declared
illegal – because they are a form of gambling. Video game
addiction exists because game companies are billion-
dollar industries and the more people they have hooked
on games, the more money they make.

What Are the Signs of Video Game Addiction?

The American Psychiatric Association has identified nine
warning signs to watch for when it comes to video game
addiction. Although these can be helpful to better
understand the severity of your own situation, it’s important
to always seek the advice of a professional.

1. Preoccupation with video games. The individual thinks

about previous gaming activity or anticipates playing
the next game; Gaming becomes the dominant activity
in daily life.
2. Withdrawal symptoms when gaming is taken
away. These symptoms are typically described as
irritability, anxiety, boredom, cravings, or sadness.
3. Tolerance – the need to spend increasing amounts of
time engaged in video games. This may be motivated
by a need for the completion of increasingly intricate,
 time-consuming, or difficult goals to achieve satisfaction
and/or reduce fears of missing out.
4. Unsuccessful attempts to control participation in video
games.
5. Loss of interests in previous hobbies and entertainment
as a result of, and with the exception of, video games.
6. Continued excessive use of games despite knowledge
of psychosocial problems. The individual continues to
play despite a negative impact.
7. Has deceived family members, therapists, or others
regarding their gaming.
8. Use of video games to escape or relieve a negative
mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety).
9. Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job,
educational, or career opportunity because of
participation in video games.
If you meet five (or more) of the following warning signs in a
12-month period, you may have an addiction and should
seek the help of a professional immediately.
Positive and Negative Effects of Online
GamingAs you all know that, playing online games is a
trend now. You could not find people that do not play the
online games. The one thing we know that is playing online
games will bring eye stress to the players that is it. The
actual truth is playing online games will have both positive
and negative effects. Let us discuss about that in detail.
Positive Effects of Online Gaming
 Enhances the Cognitive Functions – The online gamers
can improve their cognitive functions by playing online
games. The combination of focus and the surges of
neurotransmitters will strengthen the neural circuits that
make the brain.
 Decision-Making and Accuracy – The online gamers
can able to make the quick decision. Online gaming
trains the brain to take quick decisions without losing
the precision. Without any doubt, you can play these
games in order to make quick & accurate judgments.
 Hand and Eye Function – It is needless to mention that,
the online gamers will play their games with the utmost
coordination of their hand and eyes. Every online
game requires the players to use their hand and eye
for the game to be successful.
 Enhance the Teamwork – Multiplayer online games will
enhance the teamwork among the gamers. The
gamers will use the most of their skills to win the game
for their team. The gamers will learn about winning the
game as a team.
Negative Effects of the Online Gaming
 Aggressive Behavior – Every player would like to win
the game and hence they develop aggressive
behavior. The shooting games will induce bad vision to
the gamers and the gamers see the society in the
same vision.
 Loner – Of course, the gamers that spend most of their
time in playing online games cannot spend time with
their friends and families. If the same thing continues,
they want to be alone all the time.
 Wrong Values – Certain online games teaches wrong
values to the gamers. The online games depict women
 as weaker characters and sexually provocative
characters. The gamers will take that and they do
behave badly with the women in reality.
 Impact on Health – Yes, the gamers that take part in
playing the online games would not like to participate
in any such activities that make them fit and fine. Not
taking part in the fitness activities leads to health
disorders like video induced seizures, obesity, skeletal
and postural disorder, never compression, muscular
disorder, numbness in shoulders, hands and elbows.
 Bad Academic Performance – Playing online games for
a long time will create a negative impact on your
child’s academic performance. The more your
children spend in playing online games, the sooner
they fall asleep. Lack of concentration will be an issue
to the children that spend more time in playing online
games. Some children would fall to the online games
and a kind of addiction will happen to them.
Now, I hope that you might have understood the optimistic
and pessimistic effects of playing online games. Playing is
not a bad one, but you should stick to your limits.
 Bibliography

https://www.techbead.com/positive-and-negative-
effects-of-online-gaming/

https://psychlopaedia.org/health/internet-addiction-
online-gaming-disorder-rise/

https://gamequitters.com/video-game-addiction/