Doctor's Warning -Health Hazards of Video games

A well-known psychologist Ralf Thalemann once said: “Brain reactions of people who play computer games excessively are similar to those of alcoholics or cannabis addicts.” Ralf Thaleman is a leader of an addiction research group at Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany. It is thought that stimulation from excessive playing of computer games can cause an increased release of dopamine into a player’s brain, which produces a sensation of well-being that can eventually create an addiction. One survey conducted by prominent psychologist suggested that this feelings may occur in over 10 percent of those who always play video games be it violent or just an entertaining games.

Health Hazards of Video Games

The President of the Mexican Society of Cardiology Dr. Antonio Gonzalez Hermosillo said: up to 40% of children who constantly play games will develop high blood pressure. Why? Because of immobility or lack of exercise, children also face a lot of stress from being so highly involved in situations that are percieved as dangerous, such as attacks, virtual fights, and other conflicts. The specialist warned that this will make cases of cardiovascular disease, primary cause of death in Mexico, shoot up in the country. This is a reports from   El Universal newspaper of Mexico City. That is why parents should realize how dangerous video games to their children.

Conversation With a Video Game Addict

Hi! I got another friend of mine,RG , here to talk about his experience of being compulsive on playing Video Games.
M: Hey!
R: Yow!
M: Hahaha How are you?
R: Great! and you?
M: Awesome. Hahaha OK lets begin. How often you play video games?
R: About 2-6 hours a day.
M: Woah. Really?
R: Yeah.
M: All right, Haha.. Next do you become irritated and defensive when people suggest you might be gaming too much?
R: Yah, Cause I like gaming that much.
M: Are you in a relationship?
R: We just broke up.
M: What? Really? When?
R: Thursday.
M: Aww how sad. But does gaming help you?
R: Yes, gaming helps me after break ups. It makes me forget it.
M: Me too. Hahaha. OK. Do you Prefer gaming than going to places with your family?
R:I prefer going places with my family than gaming. You can replace your game but you can never replace your family.
M: Good point man. Last, what can you say about gaming and how did it affect you?
R:Gaming helped me quite a lot like, thinking faster, reaction speed, getting over traumas, not getting emotionally effected too much.
M: Hmm. Ok Thanks man.
R: No Problem man.

Conversation With a Video Game Addict

I got my friend Kirb here to talk about his experience of being hooked into video games.

M: Hi Kirb!
K: Hello! Nice to see you!
M: Yeah, It's been a long day. OK lets start. I'm going to ask you some questions I want you to answer them honestly.
K: Ok.
M: How often you play Video Games?
K: 2-4 Hours a day?
M: Wow! So you waste 4 hours of
your life a day just for Video Games?
K: Yeah? Hahaha.
M: Do you lose hours of sleep to gaming?
K: Probably?
M: Ohhh. Next Do you feel guilt
and shame around your gaming?
K: No!
M: Why?
K: 'Cause I like gaming.
M: OK Hahaha. Next do you forget appointments, responsibilities
or deadlines in work or school when gaming?
K: Yep, A lot by a lot I mean a lot.
M: When upset, do you soothe yourself with games or plans to game?
K: Yes, But not always.
M: Do you Prefer gaming than going to places with your family?
K: No. Why? Cause I need to make my family happy for ever And You only live once.
M: Last Question can you Sum up everything gaming have done to affect your life?
K: Gaming, I have so many pimples. Hahaha. But this can change your life in many wonderful ways. Because of gaming I found kind and good friend. I can't leave gaming, like love done to me.
M: Deep! Hahaha. Thanks man.
K: No Problem.

Gamers, Are They At Risk?

        

        A 12-year-old boy “trapped an unarmed foe and held the gun to his head at point-blank range. ‘You can’t get away!’ the boy said with a maniacal sneer, taunting the character on the screen. ‘You’re mine!’ The boy pressed the button and shot the foe in the face. Blood splattered the lab coat of the character as he whirled and fell. ‘You’re down!’ the boy said, laughing.”
                                                                                   (derived from the article “Computer Violence: Are Your Kids at Risk?” written by Stephen Barr)

        This is an example of a common computer game story. Video Game are considered to be both educational and harmlessly entertaining. But it has Dark Side.

The Dark Side of Video Games

Many cartoons and video games deceive

youths into thinking that

violence is acceptable

       “A segment of games features antisocial themes of violence, sex and crude language,” says David Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media and the Family. “Unfortunately, it’s a segment that seems particularly popular with kids ages eight to 15.”

        One study in the United States showed that almost 80 percent on video games young people preferred contained violence. Rick Dyer, president of Virtual Image Productions, says: "These are not just games anymore. These are learning machines. We're teaching kids in the most incredible manner what it's like to pull the trigger. What they're not learning are the real life consequences."

        Public outcry against violent games was made as early as 1976 in response to the arcade game Death Race. The idea of the game was to run over pedestrians walking back and forth across the screen. The player who ran over the most pedestrians won. The new, more sophisticated games have better graphics and allow the player to participate in even more realistic violent acts.

                                                                                       ( Source: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102002922)

            

Video Game addiction Symptoms and Causes

                                                                           Just another hour... (Miguel Villagran/Getty Images)

Although Video Game addiction is not yet recognized by the American Medical Association as a diagnosable disorder, it is a very real problem for many people. According to university of New Mexico, recent studies suggest that 6 to 15 percent of all gamers shows signs that could be characterised as addiction. Though this disorder can have significant consequences to those suffering from it, its signs and symptoms can sometimes not easy to recognise. But what causes Video Game addiction?

Causes of Addiction

There are a lot but one main reason is because they are designed to be that way. Video games designers, like anyone else is trying to make profit as big as possible and are always looking for ways to get more people to play their games. They accomplish this by making the game challenging enough to make you coming back more and more but not so hard that they may quit playing. In this regard, video game addiction is very similar to another more widely recognized disorder: gambling addiction.

Symptoms you are addicted to Video Games

      Physical & Emotional Signs that You are addicted to Video Games 

Isolation from others in order to spend more time gaming

Poor personal hygiene

Carpal tunnel syndrome caused by the overuse of a controller or computer mouse

Migraines due to intense concentration or eye strain

Feelings of restlessness and/or irritability when unable to play

Preoccupation with thoughts of previous online activity or anticipation of the next online session

Lying to friends or family members regarding the amount of time spent playing

Fatigue

  

    Additional Warning for Children :

 Not completing homework or assignments on time

Declining grades, or failing classes

Dropping out of school activities, clubs, sports, etc.

Isolating from family and friends to play video games

      

(Anonymous)

KJC

                Date interview was recorded: March 7 2016

"Adik nga ako sa computer, at cellphone. May chance na matatanggal rin ako sa program ko dahil dito. Kinausap na rin ako ng ibang mga guro ko na marami daw akong butas sa record ko. Kaya ako panay habol dito, habol doon"... "kung ilalagay ko picture ko, pwede ba na yung maganda pero i-black mo ngay yung mukha ko... salamat pre" 

MJA

                   Date interview was recorded: March 8 2016

"Studyante nga pala ako ng SPA... tapos ano, yung computer kasi na impluwensiya ako ng mga kaibigan ko. Gusto ko rin kasi maki uso noon ehh... pero lumala siya na ako na mismo ang gumagastos para lag makalaro kahit saglitan... alam ko rin ang epekto nito at pwede akong matanggal sa SPA pero sinisigurado ko na makakapasa parin ako kahit ano...:

J&J C

                       Date interview was recorded: March 17 2016

"Dalawa kaming kambal naghawaan sa paglaro ng computer ehh... loko kasi yung isa saming dalawa, siya yung tinutukoy ko..." " Pero mas pogi yung isang yun" " Pero oo ganun... naghawaan kami nag ha-half day kami para lang makalaro ng gusto namin sa computer shop tas tambay hanggang 7:00"

ARP

                           Date interview was recorded: March 17 2016

"Dati pa ako naglalaro ng mga pinsan ko ng mga computer games... pero lumala ng lumala yun paglaro ko... kailangan ko na rin tuminoh eh kasi magiging grade 11 na ako... kaya ngayung grade 10 ako, sinigurado ko na papasa na talaga ako kasi ayaw ko masira ulit pagaaral ko..."

    How Video Games addiction affect lives?

"I would not inflict this game upon anyone" was the testimony of a gamer codenamed Don, friend of mine, as he looked into the camera, his left cheek illuminated, offscreen, by a computer monitor. He was speaking about League of Legends or LoL for short and later after I asked him, he'd reveal why: 6 hours a day on a computer screen, sometimes more.

He had no money, no school no family, he gave everything but, it gave nothing back. But this story is not unusual. Even me is addicted to video games but there are worse than this, some literally lose their lives. Like for example back in 2005, a gamer in South Korea died after a reported 50 hour video game session, and in 2012 a Taiwanese gamer discovered dead in his computer still holding his computer even in the middle of fatal cardiac arrest. No, you wouldn't wish that to your self or anyone else.

         

Video game addiction exists. It has all the features you need to classify an addiction: losing jobs and loved ones; withdrawal symptoms like cold sweats and anger; developing migraines and back problems and, very occasionally, death. And it's occurring around the globe, but especially in America, the UK, and parts of Asia (China, Korea, and Japan).

 

But you might wonder, Why is Video games addictive? The largest reported factor found in the study, was escapism. Many people in the study reported that they enjoyed games because games took them out of the real world. These same people were the most likely to develop addiction-like symptoms. Why be a landscape architect when you could be an invincible mage? Or, feeling doomed to unpopularity in real-life, why not join a guild online? This isn't the first study to find the relationship between video games and escapism: A study in 2009 found 41 percent of its participants said they played to escape the real world.

There is no "typical" gaming addict. Lurking on various online fora, I encountered Scott, 41-year-old former alcoholic whose gateway game was online gambling. From there, he obsessively played strategy and puzzle games until, after relapsing multiple times and separating from his wife, he found an online 12-step group for dependent gamers. On Reddit, I met a 21-year-old who listed 27 console games and hundreds of flash games he played obsessively. He recently "sobered up" at a rehabilitating boarding school and stays clean with an online support group devoted to game abusers.