The Little Geeni

Modern-day psychological problems are related to compulsive playing of computer and video games. That is a fact! Modern societies are now struggling to meet the new face of addiction. Virtual games such as computer and video games seem to be perfectly harmless. They even managed to convince parents that they provide their kids with safer and more enriching ways of spending free time. For this reason, the underlying effects of playing these games have sneakily gotten worse. Since they provide fun, excitement and thrill, the common factors that are related to promote addiction, kids are most vulnerable to be affected with compulsive gaming disorder. Since this form of disorder is less likely to be recognized and are more often not considered serious, they tend to develop into video game addiction or computer game addiction. The ignorance in handling and controlling the new trend of addiction in modern societies only made things worse, for affected virtual game players.

Virtual and simulated video and computer games are originally meant to be a past time or a therapeutic way of passing free time from work or school. However, developing a sense of dependency to this activity is one of the modern societies lurking problems. While these games are supposed to be harmless, many are still compelled to abuse the good feeling that playing this games bring, as in deep sense of satisfaction and sense of power by living out a virtual role that is entirely different from his own real-life roles. A person who is socially withdrawn can live out an aggressive personality through the realms of these games. In a way, playing the game compensates or whatever a person may be lacking, social wise. This can be helpful, but once it starts replacing the role of friends, work and family to a person’s life, there must be a form of intervention to convince the person to succumb to psychological evaluations and treatments to prevent the onset of video game addiction or computer game addiction.

Gaming addiction has become a modern-day phenomena, its exact cause is yet to be determined. Similarly, there are still issues regarding the grounds on which the conditions can be diagnosed. What doctors do is make separate diagnosis, as to finding and devising treatment to the behavioral patterns that relates to video game addiction or computer game addiction.

The seriousness of the issues caused by computer game addiction and video game addiction was even claimed to have created a new face of addiction in modern-day societies. Since this kind of addiction roots from seemingly harmless sources, what leads to addiction is the people’s abuse to the effects or benefits that they bring. Since no one will ever prevent using computer these days, at work or in school, theorists predict that this kind of disorder will be much harder to manage. After all, no one has been jailed for spending too much time playing computer games and no one has been condemned in exhausting himself to death, reaching the highest levels of online games. None yet!

Computer Games Addiction, Games, Modern, Video

In this day and age, with hardcore chemicals being the scourge of civilized life, heroin, cocaine, vicodin, all the classes of drugs that are man-made and not naturally produced or even those that are natural, it seems silly to talk of addiction to a computer game. But it is neither silly nor trivial. Take heed!

The sheer popularity of these games, played on home computers, Xbox’s, Playstations, Gamecubes and other consoles, shows that this addiction does not affect everyone equally. Some people can play a game for an hour, then go back to work, or watch TV and not give a second thought to the game. Others play it 8 hours a day or more, forgoing meals, family, work, and daily chores.

The corporations that produce these games do not help with the problem, in fact they stoke the fires into roaring blazes. Clearly, they understand that there are millions of people who will forgo simple things in life to pay $10 a month to play on a game for objects and things that are intangible. So they feed the addiction, releasing new objects obtainable only in the online world, or releasing new add-on upgrades and expansion sets for another $50. The bottom line is money of course, they are corporations who are responsible to their shareholders, and no-one wants to blame them for the ruinous addiction they are causing. With ever larger online worlds entering the gaming fray (World of Warcraft, Everquest 2 …), it seems that this is a problem that will only increase.

Psychologists have labelled this as Computer Addiction or Internet Addictive Disorder, a problem very similar to Pathological Gambling or Compulsive Shopping, and sadly it does not just affect one person, but seeps into family life affecting those around the addicted. This is a real disorder, not imagined, and those afflicted need to seek professional help and more significantly, need the love, comfort and support of friends and family. Perhaps a little tough love is in order too, regulate the computer time, turn off your child’s playstation after they have played for an hour, get them involved in real world activities that have nothing to do with a computer.

This is not an American phenomena, or European, this is world-wide, and only getting worse. The Chinese have started camps for adolescents addicted to computers, in a land where nearly 15% of adolescents suffer from Internet Addiction Disorder according to the China Internet Information Center.

Article written by Richard Dows.

Computer Games Addiction, Computer, Game, Rise