So… What to do?

So after all, that I’ve shared, are you wondering what can help an addicted online gamer? If you are, carry on reading! 🙂

It’s simple.

One word to sum it all; Self-Discipline in short. Let me keep the steps simple.

1. Plan your playing hours 

A timetable. As cliche as it MAY sound, it’s helpful if you do as planned and go with your own rules.

2. Choose a day where you don’t use computers or any other electronic devices at all. 💻

This provides space for one to enjoy personal life and spend quality time with their loved ones or even catching up with school work/career work.

3. Separate your work and play spaces

It’s logical. If your workplace and play space is together, distractions will come in our way. By separating them would mean reinforcing your self-discipline. This also reminds us that we can only play when we’re done with our work.

As simple as that. 😇 Read more about the statistics and methods to help here! 

Here’s a short video clip of an ex-gamer addict that used to play 16 hours of gaming, 5 months straight. In this video, he also shares about the statistics of video game addict and how one should do to help. Enjoy! 🙂

In this video, he mentioned something that left me pondering on for some time, “Children need interaction, not entertainment”. I agree with it wholeheartedly as parents these days are using an iPad to entertain their child anytime and anywhere. Whether it’s for them to sit down and have their meal = iPad. For them to turn in early = iPad. For them to wash up = iPad. So who is the parent here? Parent themselves or the iPad? Does this early exposure to electronic devices really benefit the children most? #really?

That’s all for today folks! Let me know how YOU cope with gaming and computer addiction or share your opinions and views in the comment section below! Also, you can read more about addiction in this Newsletter by my fellow group mate, Darren. I’d end of this post with what Cam Adair mentioned. Good day, readers! 🙂

“It’s also true that we get caught up in asking whether this is an addiction or not, we lost sight of what truly matters. All you need is permission. Permission to move on from something you want to move on from. Permission to stop video games. I want you to understand one thing. You have permission.”

Are you in DANGER?

Hello readers! 😃

Many of the teenagers these days are taking Online Gaming too lightly. Well, let me share with you the Dangers of Online Gaming.

Before I start, let’s kickstart this post with a Video on “The Worst Cases of Video Game Addiction”. Enjoy! 🙂

Are you surprised by how gaming can actually rob lives away? I am. But for now, let’s put the video aside and move on to the factors.

1. Sex & Gaming

Speaking with honesty, do parents still sit beside their child and watch them play games, making sure that it is appropriate for their age these days? NO. 💁 (I’m merely stating the fact.) You may ask, “What has gaming got to do with sex?”.

What? What?? What??? WHAT?!

Till date, online games have became so wrong that its content is hypersexualized. Pornography is often embedded in these games, allowing kids to engage in virtual or simulated sex acts to accumulate more points. (Yeah. That’s right. You’re not reading wrongly 🙈)

What’s more? Some games online are solely created for the purpose of simulating sex. These games are of course easily accessible to reach out to its purpose. Kids and young adults are allowed to create an “online identity” to explore sexuality in any place and in any way. Powerful isn’t it? 😕

Simply look at the video I’ve shared with you guys above. Even a video about the worse cases of video gaming addiction uses a close to naked teenage looking girl as the front cover (I do not understand why even until today😐), how worse is the Internet then?

2. Cyberbullying

An image of a victim of cyber bullying holding up a card from here.

We hear about cyberbullying a lot in our daily lives don’t we? But who actually cares to take notice of the victims of cyber bullying? No one. #truth

What did we do when we hear of stories of cyber bullying? We either ask more or we simply forget about it the next day. (while the victim is suffering #truth)

#TRUTH

Statistics have shown that 1 in 3 students in Singapore has been victims of Cyberbullying. This means that as you’re here reading this post, there are people out there getting bullied online with harsh remarks and criticism. For not being able to play as well as the other players, you get criticised. For camping in an area (it means staying at the same spot during a game and waiting for the best chance to attack), you get negative remarks or maybe kicked out of the game for no apparent reason. Basically, you get flame for doing things that are technically right but wrong. But really. What wrong have you done to deserve all the criticism about your life, friends or even family? Nothing actually.

So why lock yourself up in a virtual world and live life with the possibility of meeting keyboard warriors/cyber bullies instead of going out with friends and family that genuinely care about you?

Read more about the dangers of video gaming here!

That’s a wrap! That’s all I have for you today folks! 🙂 I hope that I’ve set you thinking about the never ending dangers of online gaming. Let us hear your voices in the comment section down below! To end of this post, I have a question for you.

Are you in danger? 

Till the next post, have a good day, readers! 😚

Consequences of Online Gaming

Consequences of Online gaming can be physical and social or even both. So which do you fall under? Continue reading to find out more! 🙂

Physical Consequences

The only place addicted gamers will be is most likely their homes or LAN shops. This means that they don’t go anywhere but sit right in front of the screen for long hours. So what happens after that?

I’d let a video do all the talking this time 🙂

Check out this video sharing with us about what happens when you don’t leave your house.

Social Consequences

i. Short Term Consequences

1. Ineffective communication skills

Addicted gamers would not be able to maintain a healthy relationship and these people would realise that they would have a reduction in their already small social circle. What does this mean? Well..

Communication problems EVERYWHERE!! *faints*

     2. Socially Awkward

Gaming, gaming and gaming again. The only friends that gamers make will be Internet friends and lose all connections with their friends in real life. What will happen? Social Awkwardness.

TADA!!

Having most of their time spent online to play games, their friends or their family (worse case scenario) might not want to interact with them. Well, it may be because firstly, all they talk about would be games, secondly, they constantly complain about how tired they are and would want to go home, or they might not even talk at all because they are not interested. (It happens.) Sometimes it is also possible that they find themselves without any friends at all.

If interacting with their loved ones is “not their thing” then we should start worrying. Addicted gamers might be more absorbed into the addictions as they feel like society doesn’t have a place for them. Take a look at the screenshot below!

A paragraph by famous blogger, Naomi Neo’s blog post titled I’m not good enough.

In this day and age, we can safely say that generally most teenagers tend to feel insecure and left out easily. Due to the constant addiction to online gaming which results in one being isolated and introverted, it is common that he/she will think that society doesn’t have a place for them.

Famous Singapore blogger, Naomi Neo, with 62.7% viewership from Singapore shares her emotions and experience in the blog post above with the general public. I personally agree and feel her (in one way or another) and I feel that whatever that she has said actually voices out for the people who thinks that “society doesn’t have a place for them.” #foodforthought Just like here

Just like here other posts on her website, I’m sure that majority of the teenagers will be able to relate to.

Read more about Naomi Neo’s blog post as she voices out her own personal opinion and experience here!

Mooooving on!

ii. Long Term Consequences (If you think the short term on is not harmful enough)

1. Social Phobia

The dire consequence can be social phobia which might heighten the issue that one is already facing. So.. what is a social phobia in general? Click here. Yup! That’s what social phobia means – “a type of anxiety disorder characterized by shyness and heightened self-consciousness, in particular, social situations”. So would you rather stay home and face your computer all your life due to social phobia or go out with your friends or family to have fun? 

EXACTLY MY POINT.

2. Academic/Occupational Consequence

The games that addicted gamers play are often very time-consuming, leaving them with less time to focus on their education or career. No focus on career or education means you might lose your job or drop out of school. Which means you will have no stable income in a long run. So let’s say love goodbye to Chicken Rice, Abalone, Shark Fins Soup and Chilli Crabs (food paradise to sum it all up).

Goodbye mate!

Also, bid farewell to the latest models of iPhone or Samsung and (worse case scenario) to your one and only ‘friend’- Computer.

That’s all for today folks! 🙂 I hope that you’ve learnt something new from my post today! Now that you’ve read about the symptoms and consequences of gaming addiction and if you find that my blog posts are very relatable, you can always call the hotline for help and bits of advice! Meanwhile, stay tuned to the next post where I share with you on the dangers of addiction!

Call this toll-free number at 1-888-997-3147  to discuss your possible symptoms or to learn about treatment options.

In the meantime, voice out your views in the comment section below!  Till the next post, stay cool!

Are You Addicted?

Before I start to share with the insights of Addiction to Online Gaming, I’d be sharing with you the symptoms of video game addiction to see if you’re one of them!

Physical Symptoms

1. Poor Personal Hygiene

Hygiene can be as simple as …

As simple as maintaining personal hygiene can be, addicted gamers tend to have a poorer hygiene. Why so? Well, think about it. If you’re an addicted gamer, you play and play, and as the game intensifies and winning becomes the main priority, does personal hygiene still come to you mind?

2. Fatigue

Do you find yourself nodding off during lessons? Do you find yourself fidgeting more than usual? Do you find yourself getting hungry more than usual? Do you find yourself getting agitated easily? Or do you often have mood swings or feel bored easily? Well, that’s fatigue.

Emotional Symptoms

1. Isolation 

This is a common symptom of addicted gamers. You basically lock yourself up in a world of games, games and only games. Isolating yourself from others, cutting all connections for the sake of spending more time to play online games. Actually.. gaming substitutes your life.

Just like..

 

2. Preoccupation with thoughts of past gaming experience & anticipation of the next online session

What’s on your mind the whole time? Studies? Family? Friends? Or is it just games? If you’re addicted to online gaming, the only thing that you’d be thinking about would be gaming. When to game, where to game, what kind of game. Even before you’re in front of the screen, you’re planning on your moves to defeat the opponent, strategies to conquer quests or even discussing when to start gaming with your virtual gaming friends.

Basically, the only thing that excites you in your daily life would be getting home as soon as possible to game.

Summary

So do you find yourself being into any of the symptoms that I have mentioned? Are you starting to worry about your addictions? Fred not! Stay tuned for our following posts which will contain useful tips and information about video gaming addiction.

Stay tuned to our next post as we share with you more about online gaming addictions! 🙂

Meanwhile, keep yourself occupied with this Newsletter by my fellow group mate, Constance.