Eat, Sleep and Drink Games!
As videogames become more and more elaborate and detailed, addiction to them will continue to rise. It’s no secret that global videogame addiction is on the rise. This is a problem for not only the youth but for adults as well. No matter the age of the person affected, the problem itself has to be ended.
Just as with any addiction the first thing a person can do to break free from it is admit there is a problem. In order to determine whether or not you have a problem in the first place, just ask yourself a few of the following questions. How often am I thinking about and/or playing games? Are videogames affecting my life in a negative way? Has anyone or anything been neglected due to my game use? If you answered yes to any of the questions, you may want to re-evaluate your position on video games. Playing games is supposed to be fun, not an escape from real world problems. You shouldn’t be brushing off friends because you would rather be by yourself with your games. Your significant other shouldn’t be repeatedly asking you to get off the game to spend time with them. Once you reach this point the gaming should obviously be seen as a problem.
For the average person playing videogames is something done in leisure while for others it’s a way of life. For those who are heavily involved in the videogame culture, breaking the habit of compulsive playing will be difficult. However, it is in the person’s best interest to admit the problem and work towards a solution. It’s easy to say just stop playing. When you think about someone who has grown up gaming though, it will take more than that to get them to either stop or limit the time they play. If a person can begin to limit the amount they play on a daily basis, slowly decreasing that amount, they will have success. This weaning off process is similar to what people do who have substance abuse problems. Medical professionals simply allow them less and less of the drug until the dosage level reaches zero.
Depending on the circumstances and the severity of the addiction, more drastic measures may need to be taken. Support groups are set up around the country to aide people in videogame addiction. These types of groups get people who have had and who may be going trough the same situation together to talk about their lives. This form of therapy can have a powerful effect on people’s lives and help them break the cycle of videogame addiction.
