Symptoms
The possible negative consequences and characteristics of a gaming addiction include:
- Withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, nervousness, aggression, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts
- Sleep deprivation, sleep disturbances
- Tendonitis (tendon disorders), muscle and joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, sensory disturbances.
- Epilepsy, seizures
- Eye complaints
- Mental and psychiatric disorders
- Malnutrition, weight loss
- Obsessive preoccupation with gaming (even offline), high time commitment, gaming as the center of life.
- Neglect of work, school, other hobbies, personal hygiene and contacts.
- Social withdrawal, loneliness
- Family and social conflicts, dissolution of relationships, divorces.
- Inability to stop gambling
- Tolerance, i.e. a higher “dose” is needed
- Lie and cheat to be able to play
Affected are mainly male adolescents, but also girls, younger children and adults. In rare cases, even deaths related to gaming addiction have been reported. Gaming is quickly addictive and inevitably takes a lot of time. Not everyone who enjoys playing on a computer, smartphone or console in their free time is addicted. There is a continuum that ranges from a mild problem to addiction. Gaming is also practiced as an e-sport.
Causes
Computer games have been around since the 1950s. The 1970s and 80s saw the emergence of modern classics such as Pong, Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Tetris and Mario Bros. Over the past 40 years, there has been an impressive development and today games generate billions in revenue every year. Why are games addictive? What makes them so attractive? Escapism:
- Gaming always means an escape from (difficult, boring, complicated, stressful) reality into an attractive, colorful, fascinating, magical and mysterious fantasy world. Today, games are photo-realistic and virtual reality technologies even make it possible to almost completely block out everyday life. But the escape from reality is already successful when only two-dimensional blocks are moved on a screen. Escapism also includes the fact that a new identity can be assumed in the games (“role-playing games”, avatars).
Movement sequences:
- The brain is designed to learn complex motion sequences and execute them automatically when needed. We believe that the repeated execution of these sequences satisfies the brain and this contributes to the popularity of the games.
Learning progress and achievements:
- Pleasure in gaming also comes from learning progress and repeated successes, which activate the reward center in the brain. Although, of course, it can also be frustrating if you do not “get ahead”.
Social contacts:
- With the networking of computers via the Internet, it has become possible to play with and against other like-minded people from around the world. The social contacts, team building and shared experience have a part in the addictive potential. In addition, social pressure can be built through friends and colleagues.
Predictability:
- Unlike the complicated real and social world, the gaming world is predictable. The same actions on the controller lead to the same or similar results in the game.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is made in medical treatment on the basis of the medical history and with questionnaires developed specifically for this purpose.
Prevention
For the prevention of the development of gambling addiction in childhood and adolescence, it is important that parents control and limit their children’s gambling consumption. There should be no unregulated access. Time periods can be defined per week in which gaming is allowed. These should be strictly adhered to. Games with a high addiction potential should be avoided from the beginning if possible. If possible, the purchase of game consoles should be avoided. Other hobbies are to be encouraged.
Treatment
- Limitation of the duration of the game
- Withdrawal
- Psychiatric or psychological care, professional coaching.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Promotion of other interest
- Drug therapy, for example with antidepressants.
