The growth of the gaming industry has been incredibly fast in the last few years. Some predictions indicate that the industry will be worth over $300 billion by 2025 with a player base of 2.5 billion people. These are astounding numbers and show that the appeal of playing games is undeniable.

The impact of technology on our lives is something that we are still learning about as a society. Whilst the upside of this new way of life has been quickly evident, the downside of the technology invasion into daily life is slowly emerging in some unexpected ways, and to extents that we are probably still underestimating.

One area of particular concern has been the growth of addiction to gaming. Game designers have become extremely proficient at deciphering the combination of factors that make games so addictive. It is a recipe that they are only going to get better at perfecting, and whilst we cannot blame game developers for designing more desirable gaming products for our pleasure, we as the public have arm ourselves with awareness and positive intervention so as to prevent deterioration of our quality of life, and promote a healthy, balanced enjoyment of these digital masterpieces.

Addiction in general terms

The World Health Organisation has recently designated gaming addiction as a legitimate condition, with the addiction affecting the person’s life in the same way as many other more commonly accepted addictions like alcohol, sex, or gambling varieties. In reality, any voluntary activity that we indulge in excessively, which negatively impacts our ability to function within our relationships or carry out our responsibilities consistently could be considered an addiction, whether or not it is classified as such in medical journals.

For example, it is generally accepted that going to the gym a few times a week is beneficial for us both mentally and physically. However, there are people whose gym habits become so excessive to the point where they spend so much time at the gym that they barely see their friends or family, develop injury from overtraining. Like many addictions, they continue to exacerbate the negative effects by increasing the amount of time spent in the gym. These people struggle with what has become known as exercise addiction.

Whilst gaming is in itself not inherently bad and is a wonderful past-time when enjoyed in moderation, many people are finding it harder and harder to prevent it from taking over their lives in more negative ways. Much of the time this happens without being aware of it.

Warning flags

Signs that you are becoming overly dependent on your gaming fix would be things like:

• You avoid recreational activities that you previously enjoyed and participated in regularly
• Downplaying or misleading friends and family about the amount of time you spend gaming
• Restlessness/irritability when not able to game.
• Increasing isolation from people; noticing the periods of time between seeing friends and family increases as a result of time spent gaming
• Irritability whilst playing especially when not progressing or achieving in the game – even outbursts of rage or anger as a result.
• Physical symptoms can manifest from increased time in front of a TV, phone, or computer screen, such as migraines; stiffness or pain in the wrist, hand joints, lower back and neck; neglect of personal hygiene, and physical fitness.
• Long term impacts of the above points can be seen in people’s occupational and financial success, and deterioration in close relationships and physical health over time.

What to do about it

If you find that many of the above points might apply to you then you should consider taking some action. In many cases, those interventions can be self-initiated, but for some, professional help might also be warranted. It is also important to note that some correlation has been established between depression and gaming addiction. If you have a history of depression in addition to a gaming addiction, a treatment approach that addresses both challenges should be pursued with the assistance of a mental health professional (Psychologist or Psychiatrist).

For those of you who are struggling primarily with too much time spent gaming, you can probably help yourself:

• Start to monitor the amount of time you spend playing games. Look at implementing restrictions or daily limits of time spent gaming.
• If your gaming device is your workstation, apply time restrictions on accessing those games and apps that you are overusing. There are many apps that you can utilise to help you achieve this (e.g. Offtime, Moment, Breakfree for iOS and AppDetox, Flipd and Stay on Task for Android).
• Leave your device outside of the bedroom when it is time to sleep. This prevents gaming whilst in bed and keeping you up later at night than is desired. It is also promotes good sleep hygiene habits.
• Talk about the issue with a loved one. Let them know about the steps you are taking to curb the problem. This helps extend your accountability to someone other than just yourself, and hopefully, increase the chances of you following through with the changes you have planned for yourself.

We have gone into some depth here in terms of shedding light on what the signs of gaming addiction may look like. However, it is important to point out that out of a gaming population of many millions, only a small percentage of people would fit the range of criteria that would indicate a gaming addiction problem, and that these criteria need to have been present for an extended period of time (usually 12 months). Many people are involved in gaming at a professional level and it is expected that they would spend multiple hours a day practicing their skill. Most gamers are people who enjoy gaming as a healthy hobby or past-time. For the most part, a long binge gaming session lasting many hours that happens once in a while would not constitute a gaming addiction problem.

If you are unsure whether or not you are at risk of developing gaming addiction please contact a mental health practitioner to discuss the matter further and get the necessary support.

I’m a Counselling Psychologist situated in Parktown North, in close proximity to the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, such as Rosebank and Sandton.

I work with individuals, couples, families and small groups to address current challenges with a solution-focused approach. These challenges may include some more common complaints such as depression, and anxiety, or those trying to come to terms with trauma or bereavement.