Symptoms of playing online games

 What habit make a gaming addicted

Any app be it gaming or a social media app is designed to make the user spend as much time as possible. You must be familiar with the word dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced by our body and plays a major role in making us perceive feelings of excitement, pleasure and well-being. Video games eventually become a major stimulator of dopamine in our body as they instil feelings of thrill, winning and validation in our minds. Video games turn into an addiction when an individual resorts to a game to seek these emotions instead of having real-life experiences. (like playing a real sport) They would start refraining from real-life social interactions but would be making online friends with a mindset that the people in their gaming world are the only ones that truly understand them. 

The sense of belonging one gets from these gaming platforms is what makes it addictive. There have been multiple cases when an individual has been found fantasizing about gaming characters in a way that they start treating them as real-life personalities. 

These are the few symptoms of playing online games

• Getting extremely angry, irritable or anxious about not being allowed to play 
• Not taking care of one’s hygiene and personal wellbeing
• Neglecting other hobbies 
• Avoiding meeting friends and close family
• Feeling restless when not able to play 
• Zoned out with thoughts of previous or next gaming session
• Declining performance at studies and other areas of work and responsibility
• Playing a video game just to relieve stress or any mental burden
• Isolating from everyone to have more time for gaming 
• The obsessive need to play and win 

Gaming addiction risk

Excessive gaming habits can hamper the overall development of the mind and body especially in the case of teenagers and young adults. Adults who are addicted to gaming also suffer due to long sitting hours, no physical activity and minimal social interaction. 

1. Personality: Spending an unregulated amount of time on video games steals away the time which must be dedicated to keeping the body and mind healthy. Most gaming addicts grow up having weaker personality types. This is a result of isolating oneself from the world. 

2. Lifestyle: Gaming obsession not only affects the physical and mental health but also disrupts every aspect of your lifestyle- right from sleeping and eating habits, hygiene care and much more. It happens so as most of the time and attention is drowned into gaming – barely leaving scope to incorporate other activities that constitute a healthy lifestyle. 

3. Confidence: Most gaming addicts develop an introverted or under-confident personality. This is not only toxic for their self-image but also makes it difficult for such individuals to have healthy relationships in future. Learning to communicate and deal with other individuals is a critical growing up skill. With barely any social interaction and exposure, such individuals are prone to losing trust in themselves. 

In the next blog. I will write about what is the physical syptoms of playing online games

By Latifur Rahman

latifurr768@gmail.com