Online gaming can be a fun and exciting way for children to spend their free time, but it can also be a source of potential danger. Parents and educators need to be aware of the risks associated with online gaming, such as harassment, identity theft, credit card fraud, and even sexual exploitation. A study conducted in the United States with 3,034 participants found that around 4% played video games at least 50 hours a week, and on average, study participants played about 20 hours a week. One of the major serious problems associated with online gaming is addiction.
People become obsessed with the virtual world, lose their sense of reality, and spend all their time playing games. Most of these are gambling or online casinos, but simulations and other games can also be dangerous. If a person is easily influenced, the likelihood of becoming an addict is much higher. Addiction is a serious psychological problem that must be treated and identified in time.
Parents may also worry that the interactive nature of video games will affect their children's behavior. The world of online games can offer young people an escape from real-world problems, and students who have a lot of learning difficulties may find a sense of freedom in games. It is important for parents to use the PEGI ratings and related information that provides a detailed description of the violence, sex, and language contained in a video game. A study with 3,000 children and adolescents from 12 different schools in Singapore found a two-way causality between video games and attention deficit disorders.
Before making a purchase or granting your child permission to download a game, consider the ongoing costs associated with playing it. But because of the way games affect your brain, it's much easier to get lost in the virtual world than it is to try to overcome the difficulties of the real world. Games can offer young people a sense of escape from reality, and the social aspect of some games can help children feel part of a community. Spending hours every day sitting in front of a computer playing video games can have serious implications for physical health. The expansion of online gaming has been accompanied by an expansion in computer networks from small local area networks to the Internet, and an increase in Internet access itself.
It is important to keep track of your mood, the reasons why you play, and how it may be affecting you; take advantage of the game's advantages by making sure that you are in control instead of letting the game control you. The government department's Consumer Safety Unit has conducted a comprehensive study on this area with the National Epilepsy Society which found that epilepsy cannot be caused by computer games. In recent years, many modern educational institutions have incorporated video games as part of their teaching methodology. Too much play can also adversely affect adolescent health if students spend more time on virtual games than on physical activities. When you play video games, your brain releases a constant supply of dopamine with occasional random bursts.
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