Pixelated Obsession

Women and gaming addiction in india.

-  Shivi Jain

Kavya, a 26-year-old woman from a small village in India, lived a simple life like many others. She worked as an English teacher at a private school and would return home each day to her loving mother, younger brother, and their elderly dog, Coco. However, her life took an unexpected turn because of a game.

During a lunch break at school, her colleague Sneha introduced her to an online game. "You should try it, Kavya," Sneha said, her eyes lighting up as she swiped through her phone. "It's very calming and a good distraction." That evening, Kavya downloaded the game. It was a simple puzzle game where players built virtual villages by completing tasks. Initially, it served as a brief escape from her routine.

Kavya found it enjoyable to play on the sofa after school. She would win a few levels, earn some coins, and move on. But soon, "just one more level" turned into hours. Dinner often grew cold on the table, her brother teased her for being glued to her phone, and even Coco seemed to look at her with disapproval. Yet, she couldn't stop. Small in-app purchases began to creep in. "It's just 99 rupees," she reassured herself. "What's the harm?"

The harm, however, became evident. She started missing family events, avoiding friends, and staying up late to play. Her work also began to suffer students' notebooks went unchecked.

The breaking point came when her mother discovered that Kavya had used her debit card for an in-game purchase. "What's this, Kavya? 900 rupees? For a game?" her mother asked, holding up her phone.

Her voice wasn't angry but deeply hurt. Kavya had no answer. She glanced around at her chaotic room, the untouched dinner Coco pawed at, and her mother's tired face. For the first time, she saw what she had become a prisoner of her screen. That night, she uninstalled the game.