Amid Covid Pandemic, Gaming Addiction is on the rise in Children & Adolescents
Amid Covid Pandemic, Gaming Addiction is on the rise in Children & Adolescents
The year 2019 is a year that will not only be etched in our hearts and engraved in our memories but also be noted down in history because of COVID 19. The global pandemic came as a shocker, a bad omen, and an unforeseen circumstance that left everything at a standstill. It’s hard to fathom how the entire world went into a state of quietness and fear. The hustle and bustle all seemed to have taken a back seat back then. With Countries, Markets, Businesses, Education, etc all having to stop almost everything.
There were two ways to look at it, one, where you stay at home and spend quality time with your family which otherwise would have been possible. Two, grumble or crib about not being able to go anywhere or do anything.
Though the situation is much better than it was yet, one thing that saw a huge rise was online gaming. Online gaming did skyrocket, and the world of gaming did straight up see a boom, to a point that it became an addiction.
This inclination, addiction, and wanting to play online became like the necessity of the hour due to the pandemic because what else could one do with everything being under lockdown? Gaming addiction was seen much more in children and adolescents than the young adults, adults, or the elderly.
Of Course, it does take a lot of time to develop an addiction but if the same thing or the same routine is followed almost every single day then, it sure does become an addiction really quick before you even know of it. No wonder most parents are dead against giving their kids gadgets or allowing screen time.
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There are reports from one of the Childline and City Psychologists that suggest the age bar has gone down to about 6 years among children who have a mild or a severe screen addiction! Some experts from various fields also mentioned that due to the pandemic situation and lockdown, kids had to study or attend their classes online which in turn increases/ adds up to the overall screen time.
Note that kids not only use the gadgets to study online or complete their assessments but also play online games. So, can y’all imagine the amount of screentime and the kind of addiction they’d be having? This also resulted in a majority of children suffering from psychological problems.
Quoting as mentioned in the Hindustan Times “On August 25, a 16-year-old from Andheri (East) left his house after his father reprimanded him for having spent ₹10 lakh, in a month, from his mother’s bank account for making in-game purchases, while playing PUBG online. The teenager had left a note behind, citing that he will earn and pay back the entire amount to his parents, and till then, he will not return home. Police traced the teenager to Mahakali Caves the next day and reunited him with his parents”.
There’s no doubt that there has been a huge marginal increase in user engagement in online gaming during the lockdown period amid the pandemic. To be precise, schools and colleges did not even have online classes for a really long time because nobody knew the parameters of the circumstance and the intensity of the pandemic, and for how long the situation would last.
When things didn’t seem to be going okay and continued to be the same or get worse, educational sectors decided to have online classes for kids so that their studies aren’t hampered.
Being housebound in such dire circumstances where it isn’t your wish you will then what can one do? Even parents are helpless and give in to their kid’s demands of getting to watch TV or play games online etc just to while away their time.
There are a bunch of kid’s games online that are beneficial and helpful for kids as well as the elderly. By this, we mean that there are games that increase one’s capability, and ability and also test their skills while improving their overall development.
Sure, these games do require a lot of patience and brain power but are a good exercise to keep your children engaged as well as garner knowledgeable information that will help them later on.
Unfortunately, children or adolescents don’t much care for such games because it indirectly seems like studies to them or something that requires them to put in extra work or attention. Therefore, they lean towards the casual gaming available online. Kids are smart, you see!
One such game that proves to be helpful and beneficial is online rummy! It is a proven fact that it develops and builds an individual’s skills, better interpersonal development, and much more.
Learning how to play rummy will always help you in your day-to-day and that is because you will find yourself getting better at decision making, logical thinking/ reasoning, better judgment, and more.
If you want to play rummy online then the best place to do so is Classic Rummy. Check out everything it offers plus is it safe, secured, responsible, and 100% legal?
So y’all see the impact online gaming and the impact it has had on children and adolescents. But, are they to be blamed for the situation? The liking for online gaming has always been quite evident among children but the rise showed up during the pandemic.
You would’ve also experienced this during the pandemic and lockdown and must be still dealing with the aftermath of its effects of it to date.
Let us know your thoughts and opinions on this topic.
