Deadly Computer Games
Although computer gaming has become an acceptable form of entertainment for kids, the games are as potentially addictive as drugs, alcohol or cigarettes… and just as deadly.
Games, games, games.
The sign reads “Sunshine Cybercafe — 24-hours”, but this dingy shop in Subang Jaya, Malaysia has never seen the light of day. The smell of stale cola and cigarette smoke waft out the door as two pallid-faced tweens step out. Behind them, machine guns fire, grenades explode and bombs drop.
One boy massages his right hand. The other cracks his knuckles. These are their battle wounds. War Craft, Doom, Quake, Counterstrike: for USD0.50 an hour – 20% off for members – kids at Sunshine Cybercafe can be the good guys in cyberspace around the clock. Beverages not included.
Death by gaming
For many kids, computer games has become a serious addiction. Although authorities and health professionals are already clued in to the problem, many parents are not. But while the games are purely make believe, the hazards of excessive computer gaming are most certainly real.
In 2007, a 30-something man in Beijing died after a three-day internet gaming binge. In Hong Kong, a 28-year-old man and 17-year old boy died within a year of each other, both while playing the same first-person shooter. Deaths by gaming have also been reported in the US, where a man died after a week of playing Nintendo; and in South Korea, where a man died after four days of non-stop online games.
“Our society is becoming more computer dependent not only for information, but also for fun and entertainment,” says Dr. Maressa Orzack, Ph.D. of the Computer Addiction Service at Harvard-McLean Hospital in the U.S. “This trend is a potential problem affecting all ages, starting with computer games for kids.”
Dr. Orzack, who has been studying computer addiction of various forms for nearly twenty years, says that it is an emerging disorder suffered by people who find the virtual reality on computer screens more attractive than everyday reality.
“It is a problem very similar to Pathological Gambling or Compulsive Shopping; and, like other addictions, it affects other people such as family, friends, and co-workers,” she explains.
Healing the wounds
Computer game addiction is overwhelmingly more likely to be a problem with boys than girls. Computer games allow teenage boys to escape from peer pressures into his own private fantasy, where he can control everything. They seek solace in cybergames the way teenage girls seek solace in binge diets. Both addictions offer the illusion of control, which explains why Dr. Orzack recommends treating computer addiction just like you would treat eating disorders.
“The basic idea is to teach people how to normalise their behaviour — a key goal in eating disorder therapy.”
The technique, known as “cognitive-behavioral therapy” teaches you to monitor your thoughts and identify the ones that trigger addictive action. Dr. Orzack also encourages the use of Motivational Interviewing to set goals for kids who already know they are spending too much time at gaming and want to get better.
“All this is besides getting him or her to spend more time doing other things like sports or reading,” says Dr. Orzack.
Symptoms of Computer Game Addiction
- Inability to stop playing (for example, at mealtimes)
- Playing into the wee hours of the morning
- Reluctant to take part in family activities
- Lying about when or how long he’s been at the computer
- Back aches, dry eyes and carpal tunnel syndrome
- Seems happier when playing games than any other time
- Declining grades at school
This is another great resource for those of you facing problems with computer game addicition:
http://www.videogamesandyourkids.com/