Addiction to video games for children

Addiction to video games for children

Introduction

Every action performed by a kid seems to be of great importance to him or her. However, the persistence of execution of the act by the child proves the importance and health of the action, which may lead to addiction. For instance, the idea of Video games plays a great role in the persistence of execution and causing addiction among children. Thus this essay aims at discussing addiction to video games for children.

The idea of video games date backs in 1970, which captured the imagination of Americans whereby simple graphic pictures that seemed to be primitive compared with the current complex multifaceted games in which most children and teens have become gripped. Currently, the addiction to video games has grown too wide enough to compare with compulsive gambling, whereby the whole mission is aimed at winning, which service as the main motivator in continuous playing.

Contrary to earlier days when the video games were only available on the arcade machines which had limited access, today video games dominate a great percentage in most of the popular social network site which has extensively contributed access by children. Due to increased elaborate in the current video games full of alternate worlds and another complicated storyline, the children have established a new way of engaging with other online players, whereby the claims to be gifted and acquiring power through after winning against the opponent. This move facilitates many children to keep themselves glued on the play station for several hours each and every day, a condition that may drive the child’s attention from other matters that are important to his/her life.

Several researchers have different views concerning the idea of video game addiction. Most of them propose the process of playing and winning the games trigger the secretion of a brain chemical known as the Dopamine, a chemical that is responsible for elevating mood and providing of rush energy also classified as the neurotransmitter that is involved in other addictions such as the drug abuse. The idea of video games has been characterized as one of the addictive disorders in the statistical manual and mental disorder among children. The disorder has been associated with various effects that have greatly ruined the lives of the children. The signs of a video game addicted child may include;

Poor performance in school as well as degradation in the execution of household responsibilities due to preoccupation with gaming.

Friendship neglection as well as other necessary hobbies

Poor personal hygiene

The inability of setting the gaming time he should spend playing

High irritation when instructed to pose the gaming even for a few minutes

Spending a lot of time playing video games intensively to attain a certain level of enjoyment.

Physical withdraw symptoms such as loss of appetite, emotional outbursts when the game is taken away, and sleeplessness.

Utilization of video games in coping with stress situation at home

The continuous addition of video games among the children has been characterized by various believes that facilitates both positive and negative actions that may contribute the up come of a child. For instance, in some schools of thought, the programs that are computerized have been classified as negative programs that promote violence, sexism, and social isolation between young children. While in other perspectives, the idea of video games is upheld as a valuable tool for education and development of character, a move that allows the children to simulate their powerful hero role. However, the believes a certain that the effect of video games on a child depends on the children’s attitude towards the game as well as life in general.

The continuous exposure to video games among the children poses a lot of risks that may generally affect the children in their lives. The various risk associated with Video games among the children involves;

Inactive lifestyles; Long hours spent by the young person behind the screen may take their toll on their bodies. Lack of exercise due to the spending of most hours in the video game has increased public health concerns among young children, such as gain in weight and increased type two diabetes.

Concentration and attention problem; The fast-paced action in video games affects the children’s concentration. The children’s actions spending most of their time in video games become less interested in classwork, such as reading books that mainly require more focusing and prolonged attention.

Increased violence among the children; The persistence of children exposure to playing of video games that mainly concentrates on fighting may most likely display aggression sign.

However, the individuals faced by the addiction video games disorder may be treated through different mechanisms such as the use of behavior modification therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that guide the victim from the thought that is obsessive and addictive.

To help the children from contracting video game addiction, parents should learn to guide their children when they notice behavior in their children astray. The government also should introduce a treatment program to address video game addiction disorder among the children in order to give hope to individuals seeking help.