GAMING ADDICTION
The online gaming boom in India brings rising dangers for users
Driven by affordable data, accessibility to smartphones, and increasing disposable time due to the Covid-19 lockdowns, the online gaming industry in India has witnessed a major boom in the time when the pandemic has had a catastrophic on the majority of sectors.
According to a report released by KPMG consulting firm, India, the overall online casual gaming sub-segment in India which stood at a size of INR 60 billion in 2021 is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29 pc over 2021-2025 to reach a size of INR 169 billion. The report also states that time spent on gaming apps, increased by 21 pc during the initial national lockdown, with the total customer base crossing 300 million users.
While the boom may be good for the gaming industry, users end up paying a heavy price as heavy-duty gaming can lead to several mental and physical problems and can also lead to addiction.
“Habit of gaming has thrived during the pandemic situation and the dependence of youth on gaming for the purpose of recreation has increased. Lifestyle, routine, and priorities have changed. For the younger population, it has been tough to resist the temptation of socializing through online games,” Ritansha Grover, a Delhi-based psychologist tells Media India Group.
Pass-time or addiction
While these games have become a staple for pass time and entertainment during the pandemic, the potential for overuse has also been introduced especially in the younger population.
“The screen time has increased considerably during the pandemic-induced lockdowns. Since we cannot go anywhere, so gaming seems like one of the few things to do. I play for about 2 hours a day now. Earlier it was around 4-5 hours but now I have school classes to attend as well,” Tanish Khurana, a class 10 student from Chandigarh tells Media India Group.
As many as 87 pc of gamers think that online gaming affects their physical and mental well-being, while 76 pc think that action game addiction has changed their behavior raising levels of depression and anxiety says the India Digital Wellness Report by NortonLifeLock, a consumer cyber security brand.
“Online gaming can become an addiction if it is not monitored. One who gets carried away by self-gratifying urges of playing, might put oneself at risk of addiction,” says Grover.
The physical and mental impact
While online games are said to have some cognitive benefits to gaming, such as better control of one’s attention and improved spatial reasoning, more often than not they end up affecting the physical and mental well-being of an individual.
About 76 pc of people feel that addiction to action games lead to changed behavior and can increase depression and anxiety levels, says the India Digital Wellness Report.
“Online gaming often leads to people developing a passive lifestyle. Which in turn leads to self-neglect, isolation, lack of interaction, and emotional and social disconnect. When these areas are not attended to, it creates imbalance and hampers mental health. Thought processes and emotional regulation get disturbed. Thus it leads to difficulty in adjustment and coping,” says Grover.
Not only is gaming likely to be dangerous for the mental health of an individual, but it can also lead to physical ailments such as poor eyesight and repetitive stress injuries, or overuse injuries. These injuries come from activities that involve repeated use of muscles and tendons to the point that pain and inflammation develop. If these injuries are allowed to progress, numbness and weakness can develop, and permanent injury can result. Overuse injuries of the hands and arms are rampant among gamers.
“Spending this much time on screen doing any sort of work or leisure activity is bound to have some effects. I have weak eyesight in my right eye and frequent headaches,” says Khurana.
Lack of privacy and data breaches
Excess of online gaming is not just harmful to the well-being of an individual but also brings with it a slew of challenges and risks that include exposure of children to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, addiction, gambling, and toxic peers.
According to the India Digital Wellness Report, 70 pc of respondents feel that children connecting with strangers while playing games online can lead to cyberbullying, harassment, and violence.
“People could be drawn to online gaming for entertainment, but data shows that it is not all about fun and games. The virtual playing field comes with risks such as identity theft, cyberbullying, phishing, and credit card theft, to name a few,” Ritesh Chopra, Director, of Norton LifeLock, said in a statement.
The gaming industry suffered 12 billion cyberattacks between November 2017 and March 2019, says a report by Akamai Technologies, a global content delivery network, cybersecurity, and cloud service company, providing web and Internet security services.
As with any other activity, online gaming also has potential benefits and harms which makes moderation and finding a balance essential.
Comments
Post a Comment