Gaming Addiction

Gaming Addiction: Is It a Growing Problem, Will it Ever Stop?

Games are supposed to be fun. We as parents are supposed to get great pleasure from watching our children safely and contently in the safety of their bedroom playing games that they seem to enjoy so very much. Who would have ever thought that while we believed that were providing them safety and rewarding them with expensive gaming devices that we were actually creating gaming addicts? We are hurting them in a way that will take a long time to recover from. Gaming addiction is a growing problem that shows no signs whatsoever of slowing down any time soon.
            If you have ever popped in on your kids when they were in the middle of their Internet fantasyland, it probably looked harmless and you may have even had a passing thought of wishing that he concentrated so much on his school work. But the fact is that what we see on that screen is not what they are seeing. Not even close. These games become so addictive because of all of the functions that are available. First, they are multi player games that include role playing, there is no end to the game, and it can be played endlessly. To enable a player to be able to communicate with their group, there is also IM and chat functions. While groups play together online and chat they are creating a non existent reality which turns out to be an escape from their real life.
            This is not just a kid problem either. More and more adults are escaping into the World of Warcraft everyday. Adults are turning their backs on their families, losing spouses, exhausting finances, and losing jobs because of their gaming addiction. Players will end up playing the game for hours and hours in an attempt to continue advancing.
 Many gaming addicts claim that the biggest thrill is the gain of power and status.
            One of the biggest contributors to this growing epidemic is the game developers that are creating addicting entertainment. Those who are at risk for compulsive behavior are extremely susceptible. There are several factors that contribute to the growing numbers of gaming addicts and the responsibility can not lie on just one lap. We can look to the game developers for help, we look for stricter government guidelines and regulations but we can also look to the parents who have to much more aware of what their kids are doing. When parents have a sense that there is something wrong and they see a difference in their child, they can not dismiss it, it has to be addressed and finally, education can be some of the tools that we use to stop this problem from growing even farther out of control.
            We can no longer sit back and watch helplessly, we have to fight to get our loved ones back because they have a life to live ahead of them. Parents and people in general, everywhere, need to know that there is a limit to any activity but when it comes down to actually changing a person and their character, something has to be done to slow the rapid growth of gaming addiction. If we can’t do it, then who can?Maecenas urna.