It has been almost seventy years since the first video game has been developed, but it's only been for the last 30 or so that gaming became a cultural phenomenon. Nowadays, gaming has become even more accessible with proprietary systems no longer being required, and personal devices becoming increasingly more powerful. However, as we've seen since the beginning of the 20th, our understanding of the effects of new technology seems to lag behind its development significantly, and the effects can be damaging. Video games are no exception. How do we know if we are overdoing it with video games, and what are some of the negative effects? A literature review by Lérida-Ayala, V., et. al, answered the question.

1. Addiction to Other Technology – Video games were shown to predispose gamers to other addictive effects, unsurprisingly, what was found was addiction to other technology besides video games. Phones, screens, and other devices hypothesized to be used as stress relief overtime became the common tool for coping. To facilitate the dependence, dysregulation of the dopamine reward system has been found in those that overuse screen time, and have a hard time regulating emotion, especially in a negative situations, without the stimulation.

2. Aggressive Behaviors – Gamers, especially those who played violent video games, had problems regulating aggression, engaged in more delinquent behaviors, and lacked empathy among their peer group. Aggression, in this review, had been identified as mockery or ridicule, intimidation, and physical aggression.

3. Sleep Disorders – Gamers were found to go to sleep at later times, sleep less, and more likely to develop diagnosable sleep disorders than their non-gaming peers.

4. Poor School Performance – It's probably no surprise that gamers preferred gaming over studying and gamed during the school day. A negative correlation was found between academic performance and hours of video games played. Also, teachers found that those who used digital devices more frequently had problems with sustained attention in the classroom. Beyond that, internet addiction was also found to be positively correlated to inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and total ADHD.

5. Hindered Social Relationships – There are several factors to this problem. Children who spent more than 2 hours per day gaming were found to be more withdrawn and had social problems. Even more, these kids were shown to have self-control, verbal, and behavioral issues with fellow students. Hardcore gamers struggled communicating, especially with girls, due to the topics of conversations. And, as stated before, gamers were found to lack empathy the more time they played violent video games.

6. Hindered Development of Emotional Maturity – A negative correlation was found between time gaming and self-esteem and satisfaction with life. Even more, increased times playing negatively related to the accuracy of recognizing negative emotions in other's faces. This is also a symptom of Alexythymia (trait characterized in identifying, understanding and expressing emotions) common in excessive gamers.

Even though we know how to identify the effects, what can be done about it? It's simple. STOP GAMING! The damage isn't necessarily permanent. Your brain needs to reset, and you need to (re)develop coping skills, social skills, a regular healthy routine, and emotional maturity/regulation. This means also limiting access to consoles, gaming computers, tablets, and (Yes!) smart phones if they are problems. If you feel like you want to limit your gaming, but know that you can't, seek help. There are resources available online, groups you can join, books you can order, and people that are experiencing the same problems.

Gaming is an art medium unlike any other, but, like any good thing, can be taken too far. Please don't overlook these problems as they can be holding you back from the life you want.

Source: Lérida-Ayala, V.; Aguilar-Parra, J.M.; Collado-Soler, R.; Alférez-Pastor, M.; Fernández-Campoy, J.M.; Luque-de la Rosa, A. Internet and Video Games: Causes of Behavioral Disorders in Children and Teenagers. Children 2023, 10, 86. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/children10010086