Internet Gaming Addiction -It's a Thing!

By

While there are some upsides to games (working the brain is always a good thing!), there is also an invisible box that they can put us in.  I recall my first experience with internet games - Angry Birds.  This was not set up to be quite a social game but it certainly got a lot of people talking about it, in turn becoming a social game.  Next came Candy Crush, a little more social because you could see where your friends were and share lives with them.  I was so consumed by these games I am most certainly sure that I missed out on things going on around me.  I realized one day that my daughter, who was much younger at the time, was talking to me and I did not hear a word she said.  It took some bravery but I decided these apps needed to go.  I did delete them, but then came Scrabble and Words with Friends.  There is a constant barrage of games and apps coming at us and it can be difficult to back away.  But how is this really effecting our brains and the brains of our children.  I found a couple of articles worth the read.  

 'Study links social media, gaming addiction to emotions' may open your eyes to how your body physically reacts to online gaming, which in turn causes emotional reactions as well.  It discusses how children with emotional regulation issues may maybe more likely to have addiction problems, including social media and gaming.  

"In late 2017, the World Health Organization added gaming disorder to the International Classification of Diseases."

We all know that the internet and online gaming is addicting and can lead to many mental health issues.  Now there are names for this, including Internet Gaming Addiction.  But in 'Online Addiction and Mental Health' we find that there are some arguments to what came first (the chicken or the egg?)

"Researchers are still trying to determine whether psychiatric distress pushes youth to become more dependent on online networking and gaming, or whether the addiction of online activities leads to psychiatric distress."

  

Comments

  1. Anna V.September 23, 2023 at 10:44 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anna V.September 23, 2023 at 10:50 AM

    I'm so glad that you brought up this aspect of video games. It's a topic that I feel strongly about, since I have known several people who most likely were struggling with this. There seems to be a lot more awareness and discussion about this issue than there was even a few years ago, and this is a very positive thing. I found a website that brings up video game addiction and support for individuals and their families here: https://gamequitters.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Samantha MatherneSeptember 23, 2023 at 7:49 PM

    Online gaming addiction can a huge problem. I've seen people get so wrapped up in online matches on FPS (first person shooter) games like Call of Duty that they ignore others around them in the same room like you did with your daughter. The social aspect of gaining friends online to play with - either friends from real life or that you've met in-game - keeps up the encouragement of playing constantly for the camaraderie. Instead of spending time with people face-to-face in the world, gamers may make plans to gather online at certain times on certain days. Like any other activity, internet gaming can easily become addictive, but the big question I wonder is how is online gaming with social media much different from RPGs (role playing games) like Dungeons & Dragons that people can spend hours upon hours playing together face-to-face? What about internet gaming is affecting people differently? Is it the "trance-like state" that the UGA Today article you linked mentions? Or is it that with so much social media/internet gaming being mobile, those who are addicted to the games can be connected to them nearly constantly?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Social Medial Platform for Libraries Only?

By
  The number of libraries, large and small, that have jumped into the social web is impressive and Choi’s literary review and marketing analysis indicates that libraries are more comfortable about the concept of integrating social media. A couple of small Maine libraries I am familiar with each handle things very differently, which makes me think about the staffing issues and user needs that our blogging group read about this week, but also information needs that are the core of our information science program. As if trying to strike a timing and outreach balance isn’t enough, libraries need to decide which platform(s) to use. Considering the wide age range of users they may be working with, it must be quite a challenge. Some people may have settled into their favorite platform, some simply don’t want to engage in social media through the library, and other members of the library community may be jolted by political issues such as those of X and TikTok. Pew Research  recently ...
Read more

Your book club is where?

By
When considering public libraries' involvement in social media, the biggest reasons for use tend to be marketing and communication with the community. Social media platforms are great avenues to connect with existing or potential library users, and I wonder about employing them more for virtual programming. I remember after the Covid-19 pandemic hit the US in March 2020, libraries like mine scrambled to still offer services to the community with virtual programming largely not being practiced. As a society, we often talk of how busy life is today and know nearly everyone has a device constantly at their fingertips, which begs the question... why are more libraries not using that knowledge to their advantage for virtual programming?  A popular library program that could be moved to or have additional groups in a virtual setting are book clubs. With an increasing number of social media platforms out there that promote book discussion or discussions in general, now seems easier than e...
Read more

We'll keep you posted!

By Anna V.
  After reading this week’s articles about social media and libraries, how to get (and keep!) the attention of one’s audience has been on my mind.  It seems to be an ongoing challenge.   I have very little extra time lately, so I am very selective about how I spend that time on social media.   I looked into this a little more and found several sources. Some addressed social media in libraries, others were libraries themselves that had been recognized for their social media.   These suggestions are from the New Jersey State Library.   I enjoy seeing   what other libraries are doing! Taylor and Francis provide some helpful information  here.   This library ’s TikTok and Instagram became extremely popular, and I want to follow them myself now!
Read more