Addiction in Gaming

 

Addiction in Gaming


 

In this blog, I will explore some of the ideas behind gaming-addiction, what causes it, what it looks like, and how to help an addict. This blog is based off an article posted by Addiction Centre, (link below).

When talking about addiction in general, the key idea behind it, for me, is someone who is abusing a particular substance to the point where it is causing a detriment to their health or the health of those around them, and when withdrawal of said substance is painful for the person in question.

The average amount of time gamers spend on video games is 6 hours a week. According to AddictionCenter.com, an informational web guide for those struggling with substance abuse, “Video games affect the brain in the same way as addictive drugs: they trigger the release of dopamine, a chemical which reinforces behaviour. For this reason, playing video games can be an addictive stimulus”, (https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/video-game-addiction).

 

What causes Gaming Addiction

For many people, playing video games are a way of experiencing social acceptance. Players are able to escape into a virtual world completely separate from their own, and create a new image of themselves. This need to be accepted somewhere can negatively affect the player, if the only place they feel they can find acceptance is through gaming, they themselves would never want to leave the game. This is what I feel causes gaming addiction.

 

What it Looks Like

Addiction to gaming is often very hard to spot, as the player themselves will often-times not even realise they are addicted. According to Addiction Centre, a few key signs to watch out for include sadness or irritation when not playing video games, skipping meals to continue gaming, lying about how long they game, etc. These signs are not a direct diagnosis of video game addiction, but can be useful in starting a conversation with the player about a possible addiction.

 

How to Help

Most players won’t like to hear this, but the most effective way to end a video game addiction is, put down the controller and walk away. There is no simple solution to gaming addiction and stepping away from the controller is a very hard thing to do for someone who has invested a lot of their time into games. Another effective solution if completely discarding gaming isn’t an option, would be a time limiter. There are many security and self-help apps you can install to help reduce screen-time. Xbox themselves have a system which allows account holders to input a set amount of time where the Xbox or Windows device can be used, (https://support.xbox.com/en-IE/help/family-online-safety/online-safety/set-screen-time-limits). Systems such as these can go a long way to help reduce the need reliance on games to escape reality, and ultimately, help the player re-join the real world.

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