Wait A Minute - Game On!!

Moderation is the key when it comes to playing online games…

- Shobs

Every generation has some popular games which make people addicted to them. A few years ago, Solitaire was quite addictive amongst youth, then it was Pokémon gold and silver and then it was Star Wars some time ago. When a game gets so popular with children, we decide that there must be something wrong with it. In fact, the attention span of children towards these games seem endless.

Now of course it is Fortnight and PUBG. Gaming has always been popular, but it is more popular than ever before. We have gaming centres where we see teenagers sit for hours in a fantasy world which keeps them gripped. Some parents are oblivious of what is going on with their children and they seem to be cut off from this generation. In the name of holidays, we see teenagers sit in front of the screen for hours together.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes 'Gaming Disorder' as a mental health condition in the international classification of diseases and has placed it in the same category as substance abuse and gaming addiction. However, this has not stopped teens, and sometimes adults, from spending more and more time playing video games. It has even proven to be problematic because India is receiving treatment for addiction to the online game: Player Unknown Battlegrounds (PUBG).

I have heard overwhelmed parents stating that 'my seven-year-old is most inspired by video games'. As a result, we end up policing, nagging and threatening to the point of being burnt out. Is that the solution? Some parents go to the extent of hiding their iPads and smartphones. But we all know, deprivation only increases the appetite; the more we restrict these children, the more they are obsessed with it. Recently a school student said, “This game has addicted me to the core. When I sleep it feels like I run like my Avtar in PUBG and when I ride my cycle, I feel as if somebody will shoot me. Everybody seems to be like enemy.”