Video game abuse, a mental health problem

For this entity, video games addiction is a behavioral pattern of persistent playing in which it is difficult for the person to stop playing, and it affects their quality of life and their autonomy.

The prevalence of this disease ranges between 1% and 50%. Most certainly, world statistics could be alarming if we take into account how much children and teenagers were exposed to screens due to the dynamics derived from the pandemic for the last two years.

Video games can be high value social platforms because, according to the WHO and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health from the United Kingdom, “they provide educational, physiological, psychological, recreational and social benefits to players”. However, it is important to distinguish between use and abuse: “even though they can help people develop some skills, and they provide opportunities for people to meet, they have an enormous addictive potential because of their capacity to activate pleasure systems in the brain, and substitute other activities that provide energy, entertainment and socialization”, explains Sergio Pareja, Advisor at the DSM.

If you identify any of these warning signs because of a problematic use of video games (see box below), please foster healthier lifestyles, try to find new hobbies that require other environments, establish time limits and seek the help of a professional who is an expert in addictions.

Characteristics of video games addiction:

·      Constant thoughts, memories and fantasies about video games.

·      It is impossible for them to stop playing and they invest more and more time on it.

·      Rage outbursts if the game ends differently from what they expected.

·      Impairment of their ability to control how much time they are going to play.

·      Video games come before other interests and activities in their daily lives.