Recently, a 16-year-old boy from Lucknow allegedly shot his mother because she stopped him from playing “online games like PUBG”, according to UP Police. In another incident from Hyderabad, a teenage boy lost Rs 36 lakh, which his family received as monetary benefit after his father’s death, while playing online games.
These grave incidents highlight the serious implications of online games on young minds. “Some research has indicated the use of gaming platforms, like PUBG, affect the mental health of players, and they may even suffer from depression and anxiety. Also, it has an adverse impact on those with ADHD and suicidality, and can also make one think of self-harm and propagate aggressive behaviour,” Dr Priyanka Jain, Development and Behavioral Paediatric, Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital said.
Recently, a 16-year-old boy from Lucknow allegedly shot his mother because she stopped him from playing “online games like PUBG”, according to UP Police. In another incident from Hyderabad, a teenage boy lost Rs 36 lakh, which his family received as monetary benefit after his father’s death, while playing online games.
These grave incidents highlight the serious implications of online games on young minds. “Some research has indicated the use of gaming platforms, like PUBG, affect the mental health of players, and they may even suffer from depression and anxiety. Also, it has an adverse impact on those with ADHD and suicidality, and can also make one think of self-harm and propagate aggressive behaviour,” Dr Priyanka Jain, Development and Behavioral Paediatric, Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital said.
such, addiction to online gaming can be harmful and cause “procrastination, stress, anxiety and impulsivity”, Dr Rizvi said. “Further, it can lead to eating disorders that can convert into a habit. Adolescents, who spend most of their time on screens, get instant gratification (small rewards) while playing games and it leads towards habit formationDecide fixed gaming hours – Playing a game for 1-2 hours is safe, but don’t play beyond that. You can fix a pecific time of the day as your gaming hours.
Engage yourself in more activities – Engage yourself in more social activities and spend time with family and friends. Work on your hobbies like writing, dance, painting and musi
Focus on self-improvement – Read books, take courses, and spend more time on your career and academics to improve yoursel
Take medical advice – If you cannot tide over your addiction despite taking all measures, consult a counsellor or developmental pediatrician/child psychiatris
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Highlighting the role of parents, Dr Rizvi said, “Parents can use different kinds of software and applications to manage their children’s times spent on screen. They can also counsel them about developing productive habits, plan a weekly trip to grandparents, hill station or encourage them to get involved in more realistic games like soccer, badminton and basketball, etc that make them physically and mentally fit.
“Social deprivation may also be the cause of screen addiction. May cause mental illness and some other health issues While games like puzzles and chess can help adolescents and children develop comprehensive reasoning abilities, games like PUBG, according to Dr Syed safar Sultan Rizvi, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, School of Liberal Arts, Noida International University, “can transform the neurochemistry of the brain, in which hippocampus and amygdala play a very crucial role”. “These games lead to aggression among adolescents and can make them more likely to become involved in drug addiction and street brawls
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