Is gaming disorder serious?
Video game addiction, also called internet gaming disorder, is a condition characterized by severely reduced control over gaming habits, resulting in negative consequences in many aspects of your life, including self-care, relationships, school and work.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified "gaming disorder" as a verifiable mental health condition. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the basis for identification of health trends and statistics globally and the international standard for reporting diseases and health conditions.
Vision problems are common complaints of gamers. The most common vision problem is eye strain, which can lead to headaches and poor concentration. Gaming has been reported to result in seizures, leading to warnings on the packaging. Gaming has also been associated with psychological problems.
15-20 hours every week is starting to overplay, and more than 21 hours every week(3hrs every day) is the type of gameplay that will start to have a detrimental impact on wellbeing according to this Oxford study.
- Set time limits for play and stick to them.
- Keep phones and other gadgets out of the bedroom so you won't play into the night.
- Do other activities every day, including exercise. This will lower the health risks of sitting and playing for long stretches of time.
Excessive video game use can lead to the brain being revved up in a constant state of hyperarousal. Hyperarousal looks different for each person. It can include difficulties with paying attention, managing emotions, controlling impulses, following directions and tolerating frustration.
The short answer is no. There's no evidence that TV or video games cause ADHD.
Gaming Causes Poor Emotional Regulation
One of the biggest negative effects of video games can lead you to struggle with regulating your emotions properly. Studies show that people diagnosed with Internet gaming disorder are more likely to be aggressive, depressed, and anxious.
Gaming and the brain
One systematic review from 2017 links excessive gaming to psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly in young adults and adults. But it's important to note that a link doesn't necessarily mean gaming causes these things.
"But our results support the claim that screen time generally doesn't impair children's cognitive abilities, and that playing video games can actually help boost intelligence," Klingberg said. "This is consistent with several experimental studies of video-game playing."
Is being a gamer genetic?
So, is it genetics? Well, for now, no one couldn't say for sure. There are several pieces of evidence and aspects in our genes that may play a part in our gaming skills. After all, each of us is born unique, making it very likely that some of us are just inherently better at gaming.
Dissociative anonymity within the gaming community is a huge contributing factor to online toxicity. Players often berate, belittle, bully, and threaten others with no fear of repercussions. Gamers often engage in toxic behavior because they are able to dissociate their poor behavior with their real selves.
The extent of the toxicity within the gaming world was brought to light with 'Gamergate' back in 2014, when a number of female gamers came forward about how they were being subjected to a prolonged campaign of harassment, bullying, and even death threats from other online users.
Lagging, slow technology
When everything goes right, your console is working well and the gameplay is seamless, gaming is so satisfying. You can feel like you're completely inside the game's universe. But when things go wrong, and your game freezes or lags, it snaps you out of it and slams you back into the real world.
Feelings of restlessness and/or irritability when unable to play. Preoccupation with thoughts of previous online activity or anticipation of the next online session. Lying to friends or family members regarding the amount of time spent playing. Isolation from others in order to spend more time gaming.
If you want to back up each day of gaming with another day of gaming, it looks a lot less like a hobby and more like a habit. Ideally, I believe that our gamers should max out at about an average of 4 days a week.
A study published in the scientific journal Nature in 1998 showed that playing video games releases the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine. The amount of dopamine released while playing video games was similar to what is seen after intravenous injection of the stimulant drugs amphetamine or methylphenidate.
Excessive video game use can lead to the brain being revved up in a constant state of hyperarousal. Hyperarousal looks different for each person. It can include difficulties with paying attention, managing emotions, controlling impulses, following directions and tolerating frustration.