Excessive online gaming is when a person plays digital games for more than 30 hours a week, or 6-8 hours per day, which may interfere with other life activities. The health risks of excessive online gaming include sleep deprivation, obesity, and mental health symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
Risks of Excessive Online Gaming Sessions
Gaming has become a massive pastime among young people. In fact, some studies have even shown increased levels of addiction among gamers. The trouble comes when you spend excessive amounts of time playing online games. The amount of time spent with video games has increased exponentially over the past few years, and there are many reasons why. And here are many risks that you could get from excessive online gaming sessions.
- Musculoskeletal problems
Playing video games is a perfectly harmless way to pass the time. But there are concerns that excessive online gaming sessions could be hurting your body. While playing online, the player is generally sedentary, meaning they are unable to engage in moderate physical activity. This leads to an increase in body fat, which has been linked to muscle problems, such as weak or injured muscles, and an increased risk of diabetes.
- Vision issues
Excessive gaming can lead to serious eye problems. From increased sensitivity to glare, loss of peripheral vision, and reduced depth perception, gaming can damage the eyes and hamper vision. This is why it’s important to take breaks from gaming. If your eyes are feeling strained and tired, take a break to do something else.
- Obesity and overweight
Online gaming is here to stay. The convenience and accessibility are undeniable, but the drawbacks are just as real. A study published by JAMA Network Open in 2017 found an association between excessive gaming and obesity. Technology and health experts generally agree that excessive gaming can cause negative consequences on health and result in weight gain.
- Seizures (Epileptic)
Excessive internet gaming sessions can cause seizures. Also known as epileptic seizures, these seizures are a type of epileptic disorder. These seizures can be mild or can severely affect a person’s behavior. A person who experiences seizures cannot control their movements and can experience a loss of consciousness. Furthermore, seizures can be a symptom of an underlying mental health disorder, such as depression.
- Social disconnection
Online gaming is big business, and with it comes big risks. The amount of time young people spend playing video games and the number of activities they engage in online surpass the hours they spend interacting with their peers in person. When that disconnect occurs, the risk of online social disconnection rises.
- Poor academic or professional performance
Excessive online gaming sometimes leads to poor academic or professional performance. These effects appear more in children and adolescents and can be attributed to several reasons such as negative emotional, cognitive, and physiological outcomes.
- Exposure to toxic gaming environments
While the gaming community tends to disagree on the relative merits of violent video games versus non-violent ones, there is general agreement that gaming is not healthy for children and adolescents. More researchers are showing that exposure to such video games can negatively impact kids’ behavior, impulse control, and social skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics reached that conclusion in 2010, and further research has backed up that warning.
Most people are proud of their gaming skills. In fact, they’re so proud of the gaming skills they’re often tempted to let their gaming skills take over their lives. Playing video games all day, every day, can get to the point where it’s interfering with everything else, especially if it’s interfering with work, school, friends, or family. So, the above articles talk about the dangers of excessive gaming in the hope that it will help you.
