Gaming add
Computer games are set to begin outselling books in 2019 but dangers lurk in the digital world and future generations are causing themselves damage they know nothing about, says DANNY BUCKLAND
COMPUTER gaming is a supercharged industry fizzing with creativity and wonder but in its shadows lurks the growing concern that it is exposing a generation to addiction. Excitement delivered by a range of enticing games unfolds every minute in UK households and computer game purchases are predicted to eclipse book sales this year.
But, as we fret over screen time and smartphone dependency, it has emerged that clinics are seeing a spike in the number of people signing up for electronic detox programmes after spending up to 14 hours a day playing games.
A recent investigation found children as young as 11 years old are being taken into care over fears they are addicted to gaming, while studies have also revealed that children are spending twice as much time using gadgets and phones as they do speaking to their parents.
Gaming is not just for children though. Around 32.4 million people in the UK play computer games, the vast majority enjoying the stunning graphics and game play safely but fears over their addictive qualities were increased when the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified “gaming disorder” as a mental health condition last year.
The UK games industry has a market value of £5.11billion but it is now being blamed for falling GCSE grades, students dropping out of university and adults failing to hold down steady jobs.
The first NHS-funded internet addiction clinic – The Centre for Internet Disorders, based in London – is preparing to open its doors to treat up to 30 children and adults whose early exposure to computer games has led to excessive playing that has disrupted their lives.
The impact of computer games is hotly disputed with the industry highlighting research that casts doubts on links to addiction and cautions against demonising children who game as a hobby.
“I have been working in the field for 15 years which is when I first saw people playing multi-player games and developing an addiction that was disrupting their lives, education and work,” says consultant psychiatrist and internet addiction specialist Dr Richard Graham.
“Certainly the use of video games can reach a level where the term addiction is not inappropriate. There are fierce arguments for and against but in the end the WHO did agree to include gaming disorder as a mental health condition, albeit one in need of further research.”
DR GRAHAM, who is clinical director at Good Thinking: The London Digital Mental Wellbeing Service, adds: “The problems develop when gaming becomes the focus of your life and you prioritise it above anything, getting into conflict with people around you, perhaps deceiving them and yourself as to the extent of it.
“It is much harder to break an established habit so it is important to learn how to get the most out of these wonderful technologies while knowing when to stop.
“But it is complicated. I don’t demonise game-playing because you can be a very enthusiastic gamer and still get up to go to school and do your homework.”
Other experts believe that intensive gaming acts as a trigger to release the body’s reward chemical