Imagine yourself playing a video game that was so enthralling, that you could not put away the controller, and after you finished you’ve realized that your entire day has passed by. Then you continue this behaviour the next day and so on and so forth. This is the dark side of gaming.
Video game addict from http://www.evilcontrollers.com
Playing too much video games can be extremely problematic and can even lead to addiction. The main issue that results from playing too much video games is the impact on life skills.
Are video game addictions real? Are they to be taken seriously? Watch these videos of Dr. Marc Kern (Addiction Expert, Director of Addiction Alternatives) examining the aspects this relatively new problem in human society. The first is simply on defining what a video game addiction is, the second is on why video games are so addicting, and the third is on explains the common effects of this addiction. (I found these videos all together in video, however the blogging program would not allow me to embed it)
The consequence of playing too much video games are examined by a study by Charlotta Hellström, at Uppsala University in Sweden, examined 7757 Swedish adolescents found that the found most common gaming-related consequence was getting less sleep.1 As we all know, getting less sleep can severely impact productively the next day. The second most common consequence from gaming was not having enough time to do school assignments.1 This consequence is probably the most significant to us university students. The other consequences that had arisen from gaming include, increased conflict with parents and/or siblings, not having time to spend with friends, and not having enough time or forgetting to eat.1 Although, video game addictions are not as life-threatening as other addictions, it does not mean that it should not be taken seriously. Video games are fun, and can be a good thing. However, too much of a good thing is bad for you. A common saying that should be applied to video games. Most things in life are best enjoyed in moderation.
References
1. Hellstrom, C., Nilsson, K. W., Leppert, J., & Aslund, C. (2012). Influences of motives to play and time spent gaming on the negative consequences of adolescent online computer gaming. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(4), 1379-1387. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2012.02.023
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