Can You Become Addicted to Video Games?
We have all come across stories where gaming enthusiasts left their education, jobs, and relationships for a video game. While we understand the obsession, it is time to know if one can actually become addicted to video games. Only then can we reach a conclusion if video game addiction is as strong a term as drug addiction.
Well, the opinions vary. Several parents have filed lawsuits against video game companies, and they regard video games to be as addictive asdrugs. Recently, there has been a strong case in Montreal under Calex Legal law firm where two parents claimed Fortnite to be as addictive as cocaine and its harmful effects on their two children, 10 and 15 years old.
The Scientific Take on Similar Effects of Video Games and Drugs
Below are some strong events and evidence that strengthen the term video game addiction:
Release of Dopamine Causing Chemical Addiction
Scientifically and medically, the release of dopamine in brains is strong proof that video games have the same kind of effect on human brains as that of drugs. When video games players keep playing for long hours, brain cells release dopamine, which later results in chemical addiction, similar to that of drugs.
Gaming Disorder
The World Health Organization (WHO) has included gaming disorder in its list of diseases. However, little research is done so far. According to the American Psychiatric Association and Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders, more research needs to be done on the subject.
The research took place in 2018 by Nottingham Trent University UK on gaming disorder. The results showed that when it comes to neurobiological effects, video games and drugs result in similar implications. Some of these effects and implications include:
• Poor working memory
• Poorer decision-making capabilities
• Decreased visual functioning
• Decreased auditory functioning
• Deficiencies in the neuronal reward system
Psychological Effects
New York Times also conducted a study in October 2018 to study if the psychological effects of video games and drugs were common. The results came out to be very interesting. It was found that video game developers hire scientists to deploy special effects and psychological techniques in the game to make the games as irresistible as possible.
The same psychological effect can be observed in the case of drugs. A person who takes drugs once finds it too difficult to resist taking them again. As you dive in, coming back is no less than fighting a war with yourself.
However, according to some psychologists, there are a lot of people who overdo eating, working, exercising, having sex, and many other activities. Thus, video games are more likely to fall in the obsession section until a validated and consistent research base is formulated.
In Conclusion
As we looked into neurobiological and psychological effects, drugs and video games share a lot in common. However, given the different nature of both things, it would be better to wait for solid research to come up. For now, considering video games as addictive as drugs is not a popular opinion.