Why are video games so addictive?
When phones were introduced video games were limited to only entertainment. But nowadays people are addicted to them regardless of their age. Especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, the number increased rapidly. According to a survey about 66 percent of Americans play video regularly.
And this is not a negligible number. There is no doubt that video games can help you to improve your mental health to a certain extent. But being addicted to them brings double the disadvantages. Hence, keeping this in mind, in this blog we will discuss reasons why Video games are so addictive and what are its disadvantages.
Why are Video games so addictive?
This is a practical question that can be answered in two ways: for scientific reasons and technical reasons. So I am writing down both for you so that you can consider both.
- The scientific factor:- You would have heard the name dopamine, if not let me explain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter chemical released in our brain that regulates the feeling of pleasure from a certain activity or thing.
And when you play video games, your brain releases dopamine. And when this supply becomes constant, your brain gets used to it. Therefore, you start getting the urge to repeat that activity to supply dopamine to your mind.
Thus, in the case of Video games, these games are activities that help the brain produce dopamine. And gradually make you addicted to it to supply more dopamine to the brain.
- Technical factors:- When we play a game several hooks or features attract us. It could be the leaderboard, in-game currency, competition, graphics, and more. And these features make the gamers engaged with the game.
The most common features that make games addictive include:-
- Score:- In the high score race, when we play a game, at the start we try to get comfortable with it. But with time we try to chase perfection and break our own or any of our other friends’ high scores.
There can be several reasons behind it, maybe to unlock any character, earn more in-game currency, etc. And this chase for high scores takes hours of players and makes them addicted to the game.
- Beating the opponent:– The competition is another factor that makes the game addictive. When playing a game the only goal is to win from the opponent who can be anyone. Computer, friend, or any other online user.
Furthermore, even if we lose, we restart the game due to that vengeful feeling. And spend more time on the game in search of perfection and this converts to addiction with ease.
- Ending the game:- There are basically two types of games, one is an endless runner like crossy Road, temple run, etc. That doesn’t have an end. On the other hand, there are video games that have a certain number of levels.
And most of the players challenge themselves to complete all levels as soon as possible. Henceforth, they give hours to the game and end up getting addicted to it.
- Roleplay:- The modern era games are based on a strong storyline, and the gamer role-plays the main character. And with the pace of time, gamers get attached to the character and enjoy the online Universe.
Constant gaming and experience of the virtual universe make them addicted to the game. And keep them engaged with it through the storyline and eager to know the end.
- Graphics:- Graphics play a very vital role in video games. If a game has a great storyline with justifying graphics the gamers get attracted to them easily.
Video games have the power to let gamers experience their favorite character’s life and explore an entire virtual universe. Therefore, there is no doubt that gamers get addicted to video games.
- Social circle:- The adoption of phones has increased in the world. And this is also a key factor that has made people addicted to video games. Now the games ain’t limited to one person, people can connect, chat and text while experiencing the same game.
Therefore, gamers may get addicted to video games as their friends or social circle stays on the same path. It may be because of competition or because of team games.
Besides these, there are many more reasons why youth is getting into video games so much. Nowadays depression is a common reason why students and people try to disconnect themselves from the world through video games.
And the connectivity options on video games help gamers to find people with similar and non-judging thoughts more easily compared to the real world.
Disadvantages of video games addiction
Video games have their own pros like helping in reducing stress, increasing teamwork, and more. But addiction to it brings even more disadvantages in many aspects. Major disadvantages of video games addiction include:-
- Cyberbullying:- As mentioned before, nowadays video games are completely digitalized. They work entirely on the internet and allow users to chat and connect with other players.
This is a positive point as it allows people to make new friends, increase the friend circle and enjoy the game better. But what makes it horrifying is scammers. People may get scammed, or bullied by other players for various reasons.
Besides this, they may also misuse your personal information, scam you into selling some in-game assets, etc.
- Health problems:- Addiction to games can be the reason behind both mental and physical health problems. We very well know that video games keep you attached to the screen all time and require the least physical actions.
And as a result of this, the player becomes lazy, gets poor posture, has eye problems, and more. Besides this, it is also noticed that due to games, the player becomes more aggressive and impatient.
- Effects on academics:- This is normal, when the interest of a student shifts seeing a deceased academic performance isn’t a new concept. Not only students but it can also be a job or any other profession.
When a user becomes addicted to video games, they gradually start losing interest in every other activity. They don’t stay excited and don’t concentrate on their work.
- Social disconnection:- Addiction to video games takes the user to the virtual world. They start preferring spending time and getting comfortable in a gaming environment rather than the real world. Thus, this affects their social interaction skills and real-life relationships.
Conclusion
Addiction to Video games has become a great problem for modern parents due to this every parent wanna know the answer Why are video games so addictive? And it isn’t limited to only parents, even adults are addicted to video games. The improvement in video games is making them even more attractive and pleasing to users.
Video games were initiated to kill time and bring a different source of entertainment to human life through Technology. But with development in technology games have become a new trap in this digital era.
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