The Limitation Game: How teens can enjoy online games without getting addicted

The hours spent on gaming reached new heights in the pandemic, as teenagers remained indoors and grew restless. "The very lack of anything else to do for our teenagers left us as parents with no other choice but to give in to these unhealthy demands," says Ranita Bafna, mother of Zahan who is studying in grade 11 and Reyaan, a grade 8 student. "I felt extreme frustration at the amount of screen time my sons had in the initial stages of the lockdown but I took solace in the fact that I wasn't alone in this battle and almost every other family was struggling with these exact same issues."

On the one hand, gaming acted as a balm for young ones. "Most students used gaming as a way to manage the disruptions, loneliness, and feelings of isolation caused by the lockdown," explains Aachal Jain, Pastoral Care Coordinator and counsellor at the Aditya Birla World Academy. On the flip side, it became almost addictive. Following the shocking incident of a boy living in Dadar taking his own life after imitating the mobile action game Free Fire, there has been renewed concern over teenagers getting dangerously absorbed in playing online games. A similar incident was reported by India Today from Madhya Pradesh, where a 13-year-old boy died by suicide after losing Rs 40,000 playing the same game.

Several organisations, including the American Psychiatric Association (APA), consider ‘internet gaming disorder' - severe preoccupation with gaming - a worthy subject for research. In fact, a report from 2018 presented by the WHO actually named ‘internet gaming disorder' in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) for the first time.

Just why are games so addictive?

Popular games mainly attract players in the age group of 12 to 18. "I think the games are so visually appealing and almost transport you into a make-believe world where you get to make choices like creating new civilisations, attacking, destroying, killing and this makes the children feel like adults and in control," reckons Bafna.

Most apps or video games are specifically designed to be exciting, interactive, all-inclusive, and addictive, according to Jain. "Game Developers make gamers believe that success is just around the corner - so they keep playing - resulting in video game addiction or online gaming addiction," says the counsellor.

There is also a chemical reason. "Studies show that while playing video games, the neurotransmitter dopamine is released. Dopamine is responsible for rewarding certain behaviour. This means that the more the release, the more the person feels rewarded, hence increasing that behaviour," observes Nikita Sulay, a clinical psychologist and outreach associate at Mpower-The Foundation.

However, Sadiq, a professional associated with the gaming industry, who wished only to be identified by his first name, cautions against thinking of games as uniquely addictive. "A person who is eagerly waiting for the next episode of a web series will do everything to find out about the sources. It's exactly the same in the case of gaming. I find there are various factors that attract players besides just war and fighting. The graphics and structures of some games are attractive as well. It's not always an addiction, we should consider it as simple fascination as well."

What are the risks of excessive gaming?

Teenage can be a tricky time during which children tend to get easily influenced and don't always reveal much about their mental condition.

"Once the game is taken away, there is a possibility the player becomes withdrawn and feels less motivated," says Sulay. Further, there is the risk of them becoming overexposed to violence. "Another study suggested that violent video games for only 30 minutes immediately reduced activity in the prefrontal regions of the brain (responsible for judgement and impulse control) compared to non-violent game participants," she adds.

The expert outlines a few warning signs that a teen may be getting addicted to games:

-Spending excessive amounts of time playing video games, more than 4 hours
-Losing track of time
-Preferring video games over socialising and other activities
-Neglecting school or college work

Some online resources also name loneliness, irritability, jittery feelings, anxiety, depression, unstable eating habits and hygiene issues as other potential effects of excessive gaming.

How to deal with cases of addiction

In serious cases, it is best to consult a mental health specialist.

However, most cases can be dealt with using simple regulation. Parents need to be involved and engaged, Jain suggests. "Play together, help in setting healthy limits, and actively find a variety of activities for children to consume online. Being involved will also help parents make sure that the games are age-appropriate and content-appropriate."

Encouragingly, awareness is growing. "I have seen a lot of youngsters gaining knowledge with respect to the effects of gaming on their mental health either through school curriculums or pop culture," says Sulay. "This helps a lot with bringing in the awareness required." She agrees that parents can establish some boundaries and time limits for games.

"However, completely banning video games won't help," the expert cautions. "Parents need to help children with creating their routine and have healthy discussions."

Parental restrictions won't always help, the gamer Sadiq concurs. "A friendly caring attitude is needed to break the chain of addiction. "I personally take some time off from games and maybe take a walk, freshen up my mind."

He says, "Distraction and breaks are important. I think everyone should have that sense of 'where should I stop'."