Computer game addiction chart

Unfortunately, for some people, computers and computer games in particular become the center of their world over time. Computer game addiction develops in much the same way as any other kind of addiction. While signs of computer game addiction tend to follow a certain pattern, these signs can take different forms in adults and teens. An addiction to computer games will cause you to neglect important aspects of your life.

For most people, computer games provide a form a recreation much like a good movie or TV show. So what could possibly drive a person to play computer games for hours on end? Any activity that falls in the addiction category involves a series of intertwined physical and psychological processes.

The emotional highs and lows experienced during computer game play trigger brain chemical processes that tend to reinforce gaming behaviors. Furthermore, online multiplayer games — especially role-playing games, are major triggers for game and internet addictions because of the fantasy worlds that are available to explore. It provides an option for escapism, and it is easy to fall into gaming addiction this way.

On another note, one must understand that the basis for the addiction is not necessarily tied to the number of hours that a person spends playing games alone. It is possible to spend a lot of hours of gaming simply because one enjoys it.

However, when it gets to the point where it is hard to function properly without gaming or spend more time gaming that should be spent doing other important things, it has become an addiction.

In that way, gaming addiction has a similar effect on the brain as some other types of addiction. The act of gaming releases dopamine in the brain, and the more one games, the more dopamine is released at extremely high levels.

When a video game addict tries to stop, the sudden drop in dopamine levels triggers the urge for a relapse. These signs and symptoms can be classified into two groups — physical and behavioral signs. The physical signs are things that one can look out for in the appearance of a person that may indicate video game addiction, while the behavioral signs are related to changes in behavior.

Behavioral signs may be a bit harder to pick one if one is not looking out for them. At the same time, even when they do exist, they are not always an indication of video gaming addiction.

Whilst many parents would like to think their kids are addicted to video games, not everyone who plays a lot of video games is actually addicted to them. Furthermore, not only teenagers are active players of video games. A big chunk of the percentage includes adults who are over 30 years old. Addiction can be diagnosed after some characteristics become apparent. The cons of video game addiction are numerous, especially when compared to the relatively few pros. The only advantages of playing a lot of video games are a heightened imagination and perhaps improved hand-eye coordination.

These are not close to being able to match the overwhelmingly negative effects of the addiction. Most of the symptoms of video game addiction translate directly into negative effects.

However, there are some effects that may be even longer-lasting and more dangerous. Video game addicts suffer from all the typical withdrawal symptoms such as anger, depression, boredom, loneliness, mood swings, and anxiety whenever they try to abstain from the games.

The addiction results in a lot of physical discomfort and various medical complications such as dry eyes, aches, carpal tunnel syndrome, so it is advised that people consult certified addictions counselors who are well versed in the treatment of video game addiction. The counselors carry out an assessment in determining the extent of treatment that applies to the addict. Several programs such as cognitive behavioral therapy , wilderness therapy , and therapeutic boarding schools have also proved effective in helping teenagers overcome video game addiction.

In these places, video game addicts are separated from their games and devices that make gaming possible. Addicts are forced to interact with the real environment around them rather than the virtual reality that they have conditioned themselves to overtime.

They learn to interact with other people better and improve their social skills. The physical activities also improve their confidence and provide a different outlet for their restlessness and curiosity.

This activity can reset their appreciation of the real and help them to realize how fake gaming really is. A process of disassociation begins, and after a while, the addict can recover and have more control over the addiction. Apart from these forms of therapy, support groups can also be a great way to treat and recover from addiction. South Korea declared gaming disorder a public health crisis since more than , children struggle with it.

Alok Kanojia, the world expert in video game addiction psychiatry. Alok Kanojia explains the geographical breakdown of video game addiction in this video:. Statistics indicate that most populations in the world are likely to struggle with video game addiction. According to another set of statistics, young adult males between the ages of are at high risk of video game addiction. According to a different German study, 3.

Overall, video game addiction statistics are vague due to the different methodologies adopted in studies and surveys. Studies of larger populations are required to collect higher quality data to create more accurate statistics.

The relationship between gaming addiction and preferred platform PC, console, mobile also needs to be explored more thoroughly. We need more research to understand how video game addiction affects people in different parts of the world.

More accurate video game addiction statistics are necessary to recognize potential high-risk groups and we need to address the problem right when it starts.