“Oh, the games people play now… every night and every day now….” The words of that 1969 song by Joe South still ring true today. People of all ages are playing games at all hours on their computers, smartphones, consoles and TVs.
Gaming can be fun, entertaining and a way of escape from the pressures of everyday life. It provides an outlet for people to interact online, which can be helpful for some people – especially children – who have challenges with traditional communication skills.
And a recent Harvard Business Review article highlighted studies showing how gaming skills – enhanced spatial awareness, cognitive processing, problem solving, social skills and decision-making capabilities – can help shape one’s career. Even the military is putting talented gamers to good use.
But playing or working online isn’t all fun and games. It can be perilous, even dangerous for the gamer. Parents, in particular, need to be aware of the risks their children face while gaming and talk to them about:
- Cyberbullying (teasing, insults or exclusion from games)
- Online predators (a “danger stranger” posing as a caring and safe “friend” can get a child to divulge his/her name, age and address)
- Inappropriate or upsetting content (excessive violent or sexual content)
- Identity theft and credit card fraud (naively sharing confidential information)
- Excessive in-game shopping (buying items or in-game currency with real money)
- Malware and virus exposure (through infected downloads, ads or links)
- Account takeover (through phishing scams or fake log-in pages for games)
Gaming can also lead to physical and mental problems. Physical risks include sleep deprivation, fatigue, eyestrain, and damage to the hands and fingers from using a mouse, keyboard or game controller. Doctors have begun to treat more people (young and old) for “tech neck,” pain and headaches caused by repetitive strain and injury to the muscles and other tissue structures of the cervical spine.
Psychological risks include gaming preoccupation/obsession, withdrawal, mood disorders, anxiety or depression. A new McGill University study discovered that teenagers who spend a lot of time playing video games and on the computer are more likely to have psychotic experiences or episodes like hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking or paranoia. Not surprisingly, excessive gaming can easily damage a child’s performance in school.
Violent video games, in particular, have been proven to increase a players’ aggressive behavior and decrease empathy or concern for another’s well-being. In some cases, the desensitized gamer transfers these hostile attitudes from the screen into the real world, which – in some cases – can result in criminal, even fatal, behavior.
Gaming isn’t just child’s play. Gaming can harm adults as well. Grown men and women who game don’t just lose track of time, but they can easily get stuck in a parallel universe that keeps them from fulfilling their duties as a spouse and/or parent. These late-night habits have created secret lives that cause a loss of interest in other important activities, tragically resulting in academic failures, job losses, alienation from friends and relatives, and even divorce.
Don’t let gaming turn your loved one into a different person. Take advantage of support groups like Computer Gaming Addicts Anonymous to get help. And don’t be afraid to take the phone, computer or TV privileges away. It could be a game-changer.
michaelwmschick 