Online gaming is booming in India. And, PUBG is the latest craze. While some people make money playing the game, the majority play it for the thrill. Some even end up before a doctor. A ban will accomplish little or nothing.
It was a story that usually would not have merited a second glance. Two brothers were spending long hours on their mobile phones. Yawn. Wait, there is more! Their house got robbed twice, when they were at home playing online games. And, they had even urinated in their pants, refusing to leave their phones even when nature called. The elder one was 22, into his second year of bachelor’s in engineering. The younger one, 19, should have been preparing for his higher secondary board exams that year. Of course, the upper middle class parents had started noticing that something was off. Declining interest in studies. Irritable. Anti-social. Erratic sleep pattern. But who thought things would go this far?
This was a case that Ankur Sachdeva, professor at the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College in Faridabad, witnessed in 2012. It was one of the first cases of technology addiction to cross his desk. This was a time when the term was yet to enter the medical lexicon. “Such incidents used to be a rarity,” says Sachdeva. “After 2013, however, the numbers spiked. I have come across at least 10 such cases.”
What is the socio-economic profile of an at-risk gaming addict? “Earlier, gaming was a source of entertainment for the upper middle class, people who could afford consoles and gaming equipment,” says Sachdeva. “Now, their favourite titles are available on low-end smartphones. This has opened up the playing field, quite literally.”
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 17, 2019 من THE WEEK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 17, 2019 من THE WEEK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Themes Of Choice
As Savvy Investors Seek New Avenues, Thematic Mutual Funds Are Gaining Popularity
A golden girl
One of India's most formidable beauties passed away earlier this month. The odd thing is she would absolutely hate this obituary; she hated being written about and avoided publicity for all of her nine decades. Indira Aswani was 93 when she died. But anyone who encountered her, even briefly, was in such awe of her grace and poise, and one could not but remember her forever.
The interest in wine is growing delightfully in India
The renowned British wine writer and television presenter Jancis Robinson, 74, recently came to Delhi and Mumbai to reacquaint herself with India's wine industry. This was the Robinson's fourth visit to India; the last one was seven years ago. On this trip, Robinson and her husband, restaurateur Nicholas Lander, were hosted by the Taj Hotels and Sonal Holland, India's only Master of Wine.
United in the states
Indian-Americans coming together under the Democratic umbrella could get Harris over the line in key battlegrounds
COVER DRIVE
Usage-driven motor insurance policies offer several benefits
GDP as the only measure of progress is illogical
Dasho Karma Ura, one of the world's leading happiness experts, has guided Bhutan's unique gross national happiness (GNH) project. He uses empirical data to show that money cannot buy happiness in all circumstances, rather it is family and health that have the strongest positive effect on happiness. Excerpts from an interview:
India is not a controlling big brother
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay considers India a benevolent elder sibling as the \"big brotherly attitude\" is happily missing from bilateral ties. He thinks the relationship shared by the two countries has become a model of friendship not just for the region, but for the entire world. \"India's attitude is definitely not of a big brother who is controlling and does not allow the little brother to blossom and grow,\" says Tobgay in an exclusive interview with THE WEEK.
Comrade with no foes
Lal Salaam, Comrade Yechury-you were quite a guy!
Pinning down saffron
In her first political bout, Vinesh Phogat rides on the anti-BJP sentiment across Haryana
MAKE IN MANIPUR
Home-made rockets and weapons from across the border are escalating the conflict