And gaming addiction is. Computer games and virtual reality

Computer gaming addiction: main signs

The article contains answers to questions. What is computer addiction? What is the danger of computer addiction? How is computer addiction formed? The main signs of computer addiction. This applies to computer game addictions - addiction to computer games.

Target - reveal the truth and protect against mistakes that will cost you dearly. Those for whom computer addiction is not just words know how difficult it is to save your loved one, sometimes even impossible. The materials are based on facts confirmed by personal experience and other people. The topic is voluminous, section navigation is below.

Read it completely, because there is no unnecessary information here.

What is computer addiction?

Computer addiction- a special type of relationship between a person and a computer. Specific emotional attachment of a person to technical means.

Another name for the phenomenon is gaming addiction.

Being a behavioral addiction, computer addiction is accompanied by a pattern of behavior in which:

• broken or completely there is no control over gaming behavior- a person cannot or finds it difficult to stop playing on his own or to be distracted by other activities;
• video games have higher priority before any other interests or daily tasks;
• continuation or escalation (increase) of gaming activity, despite the negative consequences, which have ALREADY arrived. Relationships within the family deteriorate, and academic performance suffers. Some people lose their jobs or miss out on career opportunities, but continue to play computer games.

A person strives to fill all his free time with a computer: games, social networks, watching videos, and so on. The key word is “strives”, because at the moment there may be circumstances that prevent you from doing what you want and enjoying computer games to the fullest.

Children are hampered by school and parents, adults are hampered by their children, work and obligations. Such factors can restrain a gamer from relapse only at the initial stage of the problem’s development.

If the interference disappears, a person can easily get lost in the virtual world, and getting him out of there will be very difficult.

The American Drug Addiction Association described the term “addiction” quite succinctly and scaryly:

chronic disorder of the brain, motivation, memory and related systems. Dysfunction in these centers results in characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. It is expressed by a pathological desire to possess an object of dependence.

Any addiction is accompanied by:

• inability to abstain;
• deterioration in behavioral control;
• craving for the object of addiction (withdrawal);
• reducing the significance of emerging problems for the dependent person. This leads to problems either taking a long time to be resolved or not being resolved at all;
• difficulties with interpersonal relationships, unhealthy emotional reaction in the event of an attempt on the object of addiction.

This is true for computer game addiction.

Gaming addiction can manifest itself with varying strength (degree of severity). Can change its state: enter remission ( temporary attenuation of signs of addiction) or provoke a relapse.

If a former gamer returns to gaming after a break, this often leads to what is called computer gaming binge.

We believe you know the meaning of the word “binge”.

According to official medicine, without treatment or participation in recovery activities, addiction progresses and can lead to disability or premature death.

What is the danger of computer addiction?

Computer addiction is something that gradually reduces a person’s presence in the real world to zero. It is not necessary that a person will stop going out into the fresh air (but this also often happens).

A person addicted to video games loses the desire and ability to change the reality around him.

The motivation to live real life gradually disappears.

Social roles, responsibility for your decisions - all this will overshadow the computer.

A person addicted to a computer loses the most valuable thing in life - time.

Video games were designed as a form of entertainment. That's what they are - a form of entertainment. Computer addiction leads to the fact that the importance of the computer is overestimated, and a person, instead of using the gadget for its intended purpose, adjusts his life to it.

Gradually, a distorted idea of ​​the fullness of life is formed, in which everything comes down to having fun (read, playing).

Any free minute should be spent on playing - that is, on entertainment.

A sane person understands that life is not about entertainment. But the computer gamer doesn’t understand.

Another danger of computer addiction lies in a lack of understanding of its nature and the reasons why it formed.

At a certain stage of development, problems with it very hard cope with.

A person struggles on his own or his loved ones help him - it doesn’t matter. People don't know with whom they have to fight.

Even modern medicine does not fully understand what is happening and how it can be treated. Thinking that there is nothing wrong with this, people remain inactive until the moment when such behavior becomes impossible to tolerate. It is not the gamer himself who raises the alarm, but his loved ones.

How is computer addiction formed?

There are three reasons why computer addiction, as a phenomenon, exists in general:

1. Computer games are developed to make money. To fulfill obligations to investors, companies make a product that, least , should please and captivate.
2. Lack of knowledge about the potential dangers of video games. Misunderstanding of the conditions under which it is revealed.
3. Lack of control over the time spent playing computer games.

The formation of computer addiction is due to the lack of time control.

Parents do not attach importance, considering the computer as a harmless and even useful toy for children. Children are under the supervision of a digital “nanny”.

If we stop monitoring the time we spend playing computer games, the process will start.

Interest arises, then a hobby appears, which gradually turns into a need or attachment to games.

There are many factors that can become “catalysts” for computer addiction: stress, disappointment in yourself or your partner, failures in life, etc. They are somehow associated with negative experiences in real life, which makes it less attractive than the virtual world.

Do not confuse them with the reasons for the emergence and development of computer addiction.

These factors are not primary reasons, but often help to form dependencies.

The most common mistake

There is a computer in almost every home. He gained trust. Many people see no reason to worry about its frequent use for entertainment.

Society is at a stage where excessive use of computers or the Internet is not perceived as a problem. This is the result of propaganda working to popularize the gaming movement. Funded by computer game companies.

The goal of propaganda is to attract the maximum number of people to computer games.

But.

Computer addiction is a ticking time bomb. No one knows when it will work.

To understand where we are heading, it is enough to look at the experience of foreign countries that have been fighting computer addiction for several years.

Official medicine recognizes computer addiction as a mental disorder. WHO has already done this; all that remains is to wait for the new edition of the disease classifier to come into force and update the domestic lists of diseases.

Research into the phenomenon of computer addiction will be carried out more often and in more detail. The experience of the USA, Japan, South Korea, and China will be taken as a basis. These countries encountered this phenomenon before ours.

Did they manage to cope?

What is happening abroad causes mixed feelings.

Medical centers have already been created to treat various types of computer addiction. The centers are working, people are healing and returning to normal life. Of course, not everything and not always.

But they didn't solve the problem. The popularity of computer games, as well as the revenue of development companies, continues to grow.

Reminds me of the problem of smoking. People know about the dangers of tobacco and the possible consequences of smoking it. They know about the high risk of developing a strong addiction to smoking. Despite this, every person has free access to poison (albeit from a certain age).

There are many anti-tobacco campaigns launched around the world. But practically no one has taken real and effective countermeasures (besides increasing the cost of cigarettes, restrictions on sales and labeling on cigarette packs).

The maximum that can be achieved is to oblige video game manufacturers to label their products with warning labels “the product may be addictive” .

Currently, computer games are marked only with an age label (0+, 12+, 18+).

Summarizing foreign experience.

The scale of the gap between the availability of video games and treatment for computer addiction is interesting:

• many games free or cost a little money g (800-1500 rubles).
• treatment from computer addiction costs 60 - 100 times more than the game itself which led to addiction.

As a result, people who fall into the trap are left alone with their problem. Everyone can afford a video game, but not everyone can afford treatment in a modern center.

The main signs of computer addiction and some misconceptions

You can find dozens, even hundreds of different signs of computer addiction on the Internet. Many are an indirect signal of a problem. According to some tests, you can identify one form or degree of computer addiction, according to others, you cannot detect it. This creates confusion in people's heads.

Popular Misconceptions

Myth 1. Computer addiction is not a mass phenomenon.

Is it true. There are more than 2 billion gamers in the world. According to the World Health Organization, 3-4% of them struggle with computer addiction. This is more than half of the population of Russia! And how many are not aware of the problem or don't have the opportunity for treatment?

Myth 2. Video games are useful.

Is it true. If we consider separately game mechanics, games really can improve some indicators: speed of reaction, decision making and a number of others. At what cost?

Any skill takes time to develop. It needs to be removed from somewhere. If more time is spent developing some skills, others will suffer proportionately.

Computer literacy and computer games have nothing in common except the word “computer”.

As a means of entertainment, computer games are useful just as much as it is useful to while away time in nightclubs.

Myth 3. Computer addiction can develop only in the case of mental pathology. This does not threaten a healthy person.

Is it true. Any addiction may be accompanied by pathological factors.

Computer addiction can be an irritant for the manifestation of signs of other mental pathologies. Even WHO experts have defined computer addiction as an independent clinical disease, the existence and development of which does not depend on other mental disorders.

Myth 4. Computer addiction does not exist, it is a media exaggeration.

Is it true. There is no evidence that computer addiction is artificial, except for the opinion of an individual or group of people. This opinion is often held by gamers who defend their hobby.

Some media outlets actually attribute every possible sin to computer games, which fuels a moral panic. This is the case, we do not approve of such news. But this does not address the reality of the problem.

Signs of computer addiction

Time spent playing video games

Is it possible to determine the presence of addiction by knowing the amount of time a person spends playing video games? Most often, if a person spends a lot of time playing games, this is the first signal. But this is not always the case.

What is a lot and what is a little? A vague concept, the idea of ​​which can differ significantly.

A number of scientists even define 1 hour of gaming time a day as too much. Therefore, you should not rely only on time.

If your actual play time is relatively short, you may not always be able to relax and breathe.

Instead of the number of hours spent playing games, it is better to find out what meaning does a person put into this .

Considering the phenomenon from the perspective of free time, computer addiction begins when man looking for free time to play, instead of playing in your free time.

Depersonalization

Depersonalization is a medical term that refers to a disorder of self-perception. One’s own actions are perceived as if from the outside. Being in his body, for some reason a person does not control it.

When the mind is captured by games, real life ceases to bring pleasure and becomes boring and monotonous.

Feeling this, the gamer tries to increase his gaming time or find new games to fill his life with positive emotions.

It will take a long time before he understands that computer games changed his perception of the world.

We make plans, but life makes its own adjustments. It's interesting when you don't know what awaits you. Computer game addicts do not expect anything unusual from every morning. They know how their day will go.

Control over life gradually weakens, the gamer feels like just an observer, as if he were in the passenger seat of a car. The car is moving along a road that he did not choose.

You can try to take control, but the car is already in motion and traveling at high speed.

This is what depersonalization is. Life just passes by. An unpleasant and terrible feeling, with little comparable.

Computer game addiction- a type of addiction accompanied by a person’s strong craving for immersion in computer reality.

It would seem that this type of pathology is not as terrible as addiction to alcohol or drugs, which are accompanied by addiction to toxic substances. However, this is only at first glance, since addiction to computer games is in no way inferior in strength to any other. Modern games are visually getting closer to reality, so the number of people becoming their hostages is increasing every year.

Statistics on the prevalence of this dependence vary greatly, taking into account the opinions of different researchers. Doctor of Psychological Sciences A.G. Shmelev claims that about 10-14% of computer users should be classified as avid gamers.

At the same time, Harvard University psychologist Marez Orzack provides even less comforting statistics: he believes that among people who play computer games, 40-80% are addicted. Passion for games is observed to a greater extent among boys than among girls.

Young people spend twice as much time playing games. The higher a person’s level of education, the less interested he is in computer games (other goals arise, and an understanding of wasting time appears).

Causes

The main factors in the development of computer gaming addiction are the following:

1. Lack of real communication. It most often occurs in children and adolescents.
2. Lack of bright life moments.
3. Dissatisfaction with sex life. Often among the “victims” of pathology there are people who do not have a personal life or are extremely dissatisfied with it.
4. Mental immaturity. Often players mentally remain in childhood or adolescence, thereby avoiding the responsibilities of adulthood.
5. Phobias and social fears. An increased craving for games is often a cover for fear of interpersonal relationships, society, and the inability to adapt to the world around us.
6. Intrafamily conflicts.
7. An opportunity to escape from real problems.
8. Psychopathy. This does not mean a disease, but a pathological character trait that leads to prolonged stress or chronic diseases in unfavorable conditions.

Psychologists believe that the most dangerous games from the point of view of addiction are role-playing games, when a person identifies himself with a character, losing his individuality. The stronger the immersion, the more difficult it is to return to reality.

Development of pathology

Computer games are of interest to many, but not everyone becomes a gamer.

Players are conventionally divided into the following categories:

1. Situational game. People play when there is a favorable external factor, free time or competition. Without the manifestation of an influencing factor, interest in the game disappears.
2. Episodic game. In this case, people play from time to time and are able to control themselves independently.
3. Systematic game. The player is interested in computer games, but wasting time and failing to fulfill his duties can cause remorse.
4. Gambling. People in this group perceive gaming as the meaning of life and spend almost all their time on it.

Even if a person does not have the opportunity to play, he mentally plans his actions after returning to the game. Defeats, unfulfilled responsibilities, unfinished business only stimulate greater immersion in the game. In this situation, true gambling addiction is observed.

A bad habit goes through the following stages during its development:

1. Slight enthusiasm. A person is just adapting to the game.
2. Passion. There is a rapid and sharp formation of addiction, and a strong desire to immerse yourself in the game is formed. The gaming session becomes longer.
3. Addiction. Here there is maximum dependence, a contradiction and a struggle to “play” or “not to play” appears; it becomes increasingly difficult to lean in favor of the second option. The time spent in the game increases sharply.
4. Attachment. The pathology has become stable, subsides slightly and becomes stable. The game has become the center of the player's life. A person is no longer able to give up the habit on his own. The goal became the process itself, not the achievement of a result. Breaks in the game become negligible and occur only under duress.

Forms of pathology

The manifestation of pathology is possible in the form of one of the following forms:

1. Individualized. This option is the worst. The addict loses contact with the outside world, the person spends too much time on the computer, and the need to communicate with family and friends disappears.
2. Socialized. This form is characterized by maintaining contacts with society. People in this category more often play online games, where the process is competitive. This form is considered less harmful to the psyche.

Symptoms

The main symptoms manifested by the pathology in question:

• loss of time control;
• a strong desire to return to the game;
• the time spent in the game increases;
• the daily routine is disrupted;
• priorities shift, irresponsibility develops;
• real communication decreases up to complete failure;
• other interests are lost;
• aggression and hysterical behavior appear;
• sleep problems develop;
• Fatigue increases, fatigue can be caused even by a simple trip to the store;
• pain appears in the shoulders and lower back, and back pain often occurs due to the constant sitting position.

Consequences

To understand the problem, you need to know why you need to get rid of it, and what the consequences of addiction to computer games are.

1. Degradation. The main danger is the cessation of personal development. The person is not interested in studying, earning money, reading books, socializing or learning anything new. There is indifference towards loved ones. The person becomes withdrawn, lonely, and avoids society.
2. Physical health deteriorates. Back problems are becoming more common, and vision is deteriorating quite quickly. Irregular diet leads to gastritis and ulcers. “Experienced” gamers acquire sand in their kidneys due to low activity. It is also possible to develop hemorrhoids. Blood pressure decreases and a person’s appearance becomes similar to that of a drug addict.
3. Mental health is deteriorating. Since not everything goes smoothly in the game, the player often gets nervous and worried, which leads to a weakening of the nervous system. This condition makes emotions uncontrollable, which leads to aggression and depression.
4. Cash spending. This point is more typical for adult men who like to purchase various things in modern online games to improve their character.
5. Waste of valuable time. The younger generation spends a large amount of time on useless games, which does not allow them to properly engage in sports, study useful literature and study.
6. Happening decreased self-esteem, there is a violation of self-awareness.
7. The addict gets used to the fact that pleasure can be achieved without effort, so he stops showing real world activity.

How to get rid of the problem yourself?

It is necessary to treat addiction comprehensively, changing your overall lifestyle. Giving up computer games is quite painful and requires setting oneself the following tasks:

1. It is necessary to analyze the problems that underlie the addiction and why there is a desire to return to the virtual world. Family troubles, self-doubt, difficulties at work are possible. If the cause is found, then you will need to do everything to eliminate it - raise self-esteem, improve family relationships, eliminate the problem at work.
2. You need to learn to control the amount of time you spend working with a computer. Various timers or applications can help here. It is not possible to give up the habit overnight, so it is recommended to gradually reduce the time during which the player spends at the computer.
3. Free time from the PC must be filled with interesting, useful activities. Fishing, hunting, rock climbing, driving courses, anything that can interest a person. Revisit old hobbies or find something new.
   In order for the day to come when a person understands that a computer game is not interesting to him, support and help are needed at the stage of giving up the addiction, it is better if it is a close relative or friend.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is considered the most effective method. To overcome addictions, you need to use individual or group therapy. If a choice is possible, then a group lesson is a priority, since most computer addicts have difficulty building interpersonal relationships and working with a group. A gambling addict will never admit that he is addicted. But if he sees people who have acknowledged the problem, it will be easier for him to deal with his own. It will not be possible to overcome addiction in 2-3 sessions.

A multi-stage system will be required, a rough outline of which is presented below:

1. At the initial stage, it is necessary to overcome objections regarding the presence of dependence. The person is not yet ready to change; he lacks an understanding of the problem. It is necessary to inform the addict as much as possible about the dangers of his habit.
2. Awareness. This stage is characterized by understanding the problem, awareness of addiction and the need to get rid of it. It is necessary to make it clear to the addict that he is supported and helped, and not reproached.
3. Treatment. This stage involves changing behavior, fighting addiction and negative emotional reactions that will inevitably arise during the treatment process. Simply getting rid of the computer is not a solution; it requires the addict to independently learn to control time.
4. Correction of relationships within the family and society. They move to this stage after a person learns to control behavior. The risk of a breakdown is still present, so you need to improve family relationships, filling your free time from the computer with hobbies and communication with loved ones.
5. Overcoming the consequences is the final stage. The problem as such has disappeared, but its consequences still remain. These could be problems with work or study, or difficult communication with relatives. All problems need to be eliminated, and a psychotherapist will help you deal with this situation correctly.

The presence of computer addiction in children requires family psychotherapy, since such addictions do not appear out of nowhere.

Most children who have developed addiction do not have normal family relationships, so treatment in this case will also depend on solving the problems of adults that caused the failures in raising the child.

Computer game addiction is a real problem of modern humanity. Virtual games are addictive, attract attention, and take up valuable time that simply goes to waste. Is there treatment for computer game addiction and how can I make it help? The answer to this question lies through understanding the psychology of those who are involved in it more than in reality.

• Who and why is at risk of becoming addicted to computer games?
• What are the negative aspects of psychological addiction to computer games?
• Why do people who depend on computer games have bursts of aggression and make a transfer from virtuality to reality?
• How to completely and completely get rid of addiction to computer games?

Who are you, dear reader? Concerned and saddened parent looking for information about children's video game addiction? A loving wife or a caring husband who discovered signs of addiction to computer games in his other half? Or maybe you yourself feel and understand that something is wrong in your life, that you devote too much time and importance to computer games?

One way or another, one thing is obvious: addiction to computer games exists, this is not a fiction or a far-fetched hype around a non-existent problem. For the players themselves, the game is the most reality, which leads to real problems. The game creates a world in which you can find an outlet, at the same time it interferes with life and seems to make an outcast out of a person - this is exactly what a player risks becoming after many years of addiction to computer games. And the symptoms that can be observed in the player are more than frightening even for him.

What to do? How to avoid addiction to computer games? Where to look for salvation? Is there a treatment?

Before answering these questions, let's agree on one convention. We will not condemn a person who suffers from addiction to computer games, but will try to understand why the player is so attracted to the virtual world. And it is through this understanding that we will be able to find answers to the questions outlined above.

I'm riding a trolleybus. Next to me, a boy, about 15 years old, was stuck in his tablet, trying to pass the most difficult level of his game with skillful fingers. The boy is focused on the process, his persistent zeal for victory is surprising, his tension with which he approaches the game is fascinating - it feels like now, at this moment, his whole life depends on victory. And there is nothing around. And no one.

I look over his shoulder at his screen and see that the boy has lost. Once again, obviously. Although he does not express any emotions outwardly, not a single muscle on his face flinched, I literally feel his angry disappointment. But he doesn’t waste time - he launches the same level in a new way. And again - into battle!

The guy seems to be falling into the game. This is life! Beautiful graphics, characters perfectly drawn to the smallest detail, enormous response speed to the slightest movement with one finger - it seems that the player is God himself in this game.

But then the boy’s mother gets into the game. She suddenly pulls him sharply by the shoulder and screams in his ear - our stop, it’s time to get out. It is at this very moment that a decisive episode occurs on the screen. Probably one that the boy had already passed many times. And every time I lost. One for which he is probably now, at this moment, ready to give half his life and half a kingdom for victory, if he had it.

The boy continues to play, but his mother pulls him, and the trolleybus inexorably begins to slow down. The player is unable to take his eyes off the screen, he tries to simultaneously play, get up, and walk to the exit. And, of course, there was an embarrassment. The guy hit some grandma's car, apples fell across the cabin and rolled out through the already open doors. The grandmother groans, the passengers are perplexed, the guy and mother roll out of the trolleybus. And through the already closing doors I hear my mother’s screams and laments that all the boy’s attention, his whole life is in this damn toy and in the computer, that he is a poor student and does not communicate with his peers, that he is a real hermit. Her voice breaks into a squeal, she literally drags the child, who is a head taller than herself, by the collar and yells something. Well, I can't hear it anymore.

Surprisingly, the boy never takes his eyes off the screen. He continues to play and does not seem to hear his mother. And she, although she threatens to take the toy from her son, does not do this because she knows what an inadequate reaction can be in response to this action, including an aggressive one.

I feel sorry for my mother, because all she really wants is for her son to be happy. But I feel even more sorry for the boy because he also just wants to be left alone.

Probably everyone played computer games. Through system-vector thinking, it is easy to understand that those who spend time playing computer games for days are most often people who have a sound vector. It is the sound players who have a whole set of characteristics that make them potentially addicted players.

For all the people in the world who were born without a sound vector, the ordinary world is their whole life. Such a person from an early age learns to communicate with others of his own kind, to distinguish between plants and animals, to derive benefits, to create something of high quality, to build cities, to live in a state. For a sound engineer, the world around is illusory. The less a sound student has managed to develop, socialize, and acquire social skills, the more illusory the world around him is for him.

Computer games often become a salvation; they replace the real world for a sound person, involving him in virtuality, as in real life. A life in which everything is different, in which you can truly (as it seems to the sound artist) live. There the whole world is built around him, he decides what happens in this world. In him he is God and king, almost Creator. And any physical defects, for example, odors, do not interfere.
It would seem, well, what’s wrong with that? Well, a man is playing a game for himself, so let him play. He doesn’t bother anyone with his actions. Especially when it comes to children. Someone plays real games, and this one plays virtual ones - what's the difference? In fact, there is a difference and it is huge.

A person with a sound vector lives his whole life with a special division of the world: into internal and external. For him, it is as if there are two separate environments: one is his soul, what he experiences inside himself, and the other is the world around him. Already being small, he distinguishes these two worlds from each other, and reaches out to understand where the line between them lies. At the age of 6, he asks questions “why was I born?”, “what will happen when I die?”, “is there a God and what is he like?” And the world that is inside is very important and valuable for him, and the one that is outside - it is outside, not studied and often hostile. When a small sound child is raised correctly, instilling in him the morality of society, developing internal moral principles, barriers and principles are formed in him, it is these that allow him to live in society as an adequate person. But while he is small, while these boundaries do not yet exist, when he gets into virtual games, where the line between reality and the fictional world is blurred, he becomes more and more entrenched in the idea that the outside world is just an illusion. The more he hangs out in games, the more socially maladaptive he becomes. Living more and more in his illusion, he runs the risk of never receiving any moral or ethical restrictions, which means that he can afford everything he wants at some point.

If you shoot from a pistol at characters drawn to the point of wrinkles for 20 hours a day without breaks, then a shift gradually occurs when the hated real world merges with the virtual one. There is a feeling that ordinary people on the streets are almost the same characters and you can express your hatred for them simply by pulling the trigger. A sound artist who has lost touch with reality can do this. And news feeds from time to time explode with such terrible messages of mass shootings.

Plunging into virtual reality, a person with an unfilled sound vector falls into a trap. He ceases to strive to fulfill his role, that is, he actually begins to degrade as an individual, a socially useful member of society. While he is satisfied with such a life, because it brings less discomfort. And at this time, this is what really happens: he stops studying, works poorly and becomes a burden, both for his family and for teachers or employers. Everyone wants to get rid of him, they avoid him, and so he is gradually forced out of normal life. And this pushes him even more into the game, from which he never wants to leave.

An adult, developed person with a sound vector, who is “immersed” in the game, still has a chance to get out of it. After all, he runs there from depression, from his sound questions, and, having been filled, he may yet return to a full life. But if a child does not initially develop before puberty, does not receive moral inoculation from parents and society, lives in games, he risks forever ceasing to distinguish between reality and virtuality.

If you are the parent of a child or a loved one of one who is addicted to computer games:		If you yourself feel addicted to computer games, and this worries you:
Learn one thing: the more you put pressure on the gamer, the more you try to change him, the more you increase the discomfort in this world for him, thereby pushing him even more into the game. By forcibly taking away your computer and banning games, you can lead to a disaster with your own hands. This doesn't mean you don't need to act. It is necessary, and without delay for a day. But not with prohibitions and moralizing, but by luring the gambler out of his virtual space with what will be more interesting to him in this world.		Keep in mind that you are not worrying in vain. Yes, computer game addiction is a real problem. And yes, she will progress. Of course, everything will not go away and will not resolve, no matter what age or gender you are. But giving up on it just like that, through willpower or self-prohibition, will also not work. Simply because our body is not designed that way: you will continue to do what brings you pleasure. And a computer game brings you this pleasure, although it is small (but it seems great simply because there is nothing to compare it with). You can get rid of this only by replacing the pleasure of the game with something greater in mass and meaning.

How to get rid of, or save a loved one from, addiction to computer games?

A person/child cannot be cured of addiction to computer games by simply taking away a toy or prohibiting him from playing. It’s like depriving a hungry person of food, like taking water from a thirsty person. Of course, we understand that a computer game is a poor filler for a sound vector, like unleavened oatmeal for a hungry person, but it is all he has. Nothing but aggression and dumb misunderstanding can be expected in response. Moreover, the ban will only increase the desire to play, and thereby we will push him even further into this very addiction. And if we also put pressure on the player, shout at him, force him to do something, strain him, then it’s as if we ourselves, with our own hands, are pushing him into the virtual world. After all, there is no all this swearing and stupid fuss, because it’s good there!

It is necessary not to take away the game from a computer game addict, but to offer something that will be an order of magnitude higher, better, more interesting. If you give a person more tasty food, he himself will refuse bland oatmeal.

Therefore, there is only one way to treat computer game addiction - and it is not easy. The sound person can be pulled out of the game only by giving him answers to his internal questions “why?” and why?" By the way, you can distract an addicted person from computer games in literally a couple of minutes, simply by starting a conversation with him about the meaning of life and carefully listening to his thoughts on this matter. And he will definitely have a lot of them, and many of them are bad and depressive, which is not surprising for a depressed sound artist. But by attracting his attention with questions, hooking him with “bait”, making it clear that this answer exists, you can gradually pull him out of the hole of gambling addiction and lead him to a different life.

Where to look for these very answers to the questions “why?” and why?" They lie in the understanding of human nature, the characteristics of all people, their lives, and most importantly - that very sound vector from which all these mental torments come. Yuri Burlan talks about this at trainings on system-vector psychology. He gives his lectures online, so that anyone can attend them, regardless of their place of residence. Free lectures are held every month; find out about the upcoming dates or by clicking on the banner:

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In the modern world of new technologies and achievements, people constantly deal with various information systems. The computer has become an integral part of life for each of us, some use it for information purposes, others for communication and hobbies. Of course, a personal computer acts as an assistant, performing cognitive and communicative functions. But then, when the time spent near the computer exceeds acceptable norms, a person becomes socially isolated and is only interested in the virtual world, it makes sense to talk about computer addiction.

Among all types of computer addiction, gaming addiction is the most common. According to statistics, approximately 5% of people around the world suffer from gambling addiction and need psychological help.

Psychology of gambling addiction

The gaming process itself is a natural activity; play has been present in human life since birth. Everyone plays: football players on the field, a child in kindergarten, actors on stage. But with the birth of computers, a lot has changed; a cyber game is fundamentally different from a regular game, since a person is immersed in another world that is not similar to reality.

Computer is a departure from reality into cyberspace, a change in mental state, obsessions and thoughts. A person obsessed with computer games begins to confuse the virtual world with reality; in severe cases, cyberspace becomes the main environment of existence.

In its symptoms, gambling addiction is similar to alcoholism and drug addiction. Symptoms of gaming addiction:

• spending time at the computer more than 5-7 hours a day;
• outbursts of aggression in response to comments from others about gambling addiction;
• inability to escape from a computer game;
• eating at the computer;
• isolation from social contacts and society as a whole;
• depersonalization;
• ignoring personal hygiene;
• use of psychostimulants;
• communication on topics exclusively related to gaming;
• identification with the main character, complete dissolution in the game;
• state of euphoria during gameplay;
• investing money in gameplay or gaming equipment.

Physiological symptoms of gambling addiction:

• dry eyes;
• pale skin, anemia;
• back pain, spinal curvature;
• headache;
• exhaustion, starvation (in severe cases - dehydration);
• acceleration of metabolism;
• increased heart rate and pulse.

There are a large number of different computer games that are interesting to gamers in their own way, but the most dangerous for the psyche are online games. At first, a person simply identifies himself with the hero, then there is a complete dissolution in the virtual world and an escape from reality. People live in cyberspace: they fall in love, make friends, quarrel, and the emotional coloring of relationships online is much brighter than in real life. There are several important aspects to the psychology of gambling addiction:

• loss of sense of time;
• constant feeling of novelty;
• distorted perception of oneself;
• change in consciousness;
• antisocial character;
• feeling of virtual power;
• change in the volitional aspect.

The addicted player is so captivated by the gameplay that he loses his understanding of the passage of time and the concepts of “here and now.” Consciousness gradually ceases to distinguish the real from the virtual. There are cases where people addicted to computer games played for several days in a row, without sleep or rest.

Gamers (translated from English as “game”) can play the same game for several decades, as they are constantly updated (graphics change, new interesting stories are invented). A so-called feeling of novelty arises, when the game not only does not get boring, but is perceived every time as something unusual and interesting.

Computer gaming addiction erases personal boundaries, a person stops living his life, the virtual existence of the hero becomes dominant. Some gamers even changed the name in their passport to a gaming nickname and changed their appearance to be more like their character.

In gaming addiction, a distortion of consciousness occurs; the real world is perceived with difficulty, in contrast to virtual reality. The cognitive sphere of a gambler suffers to a greater extent: attention is scattered, thinking is slowed down, and memory is distorted.

A person with a computer gaming addiction becomes a “social disabled person,” and his thinking takes on an autistic character. Gambling addicts stop going to work, visiting crowded places, and communicating with relatives and friends. Computer gaming addiction is often accompanied by a fear of large crowds of people and open spaces.

In the game, a person thinks that he can achieve anything, his self-esteem is high and his intellectual abilities are at their peak. In reality, everything looks different, the individual becomes powerless: basic hygiene procedures become difficult to perform.

Normal human activity is carried out with the help of volitional efforts, the motivational sphere and the main goals set. In virtual reality, on the contrary, actions occur without volitional impulse, by inertia. The player seems to be under hypnosis, his consciousness is programmed to complete the game. Often such people have a glassy look “to nowhere” during gameplay, they do not hear speech addressed to themselves, and do not notice anything around them.

Computer gaming addiction consists of 4 main stages:

• slight interest;
• passion;
• addiction;
• attachment and complete dissolution in the gameplay.

Most often, children and adolescents are addicted to computer games due to immaturity of mental functions and greater suggestibility. However, there is currently an increase in cases of gambling addiction in adults. There is a tragic case where a 30-year-old man, after spending more than 4 days in the game, died of cardiac arrest. Sharp outbreaks of gambling addiction in adults are most evident in life failures and chronic diseases.

Gambling addicts experience the following mental changes:

• anxiety levels increase;
• fears appear, panic attacks are possible;
• aggressiveness and irritability increases;
• signs of deviant behavior and sociopathy appear;
• the tendency to violence and murder increases;
• the likelihood of developing mental disorders increases.

Statistics and shocking data

Adolescent children, in particular boys, are most prone to gaming addiction from computer games. According to a survey conducted among American schoolchildren, 50% of girls spend more than 5 hours a day playing computer games. Boys, on the other hand, spend more than 7 hours playing every day, and their number is close to 80%.

The largest percentage of gambling addicts live in Japan and China. There is a known case where a schoolgirl played an online game for more than three days and died from dehydration. One Russian man spent almost a million rubles on an online game and filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer due to “virtual theft of funds.” One American young man became so carried away by the virtual world that a large, intractable tumor formed on his right hand, in which he was holding a mouse while pinching the carpal tunnel.

Often computer games are a catalyst for the development of congenital psychopathology. One of the terrible cases that shook the whole of Europe occurred quite recently: a schoolboy dependent on computer games shot his classmates and teacher. The boy's mental health before the game was normal, but after several months of gambling addiction, he developed symptoms of paranoia. There are known cases when avid players of the aggressive genre became maniacal killers. A resident of Louisiana killed several people over the course of a week because they seemed to him like monsters from his favorite computer game. An eight-year-old boy living in the United States killed his nanny by playing a fairly well-known crime game.

Gaming addiction to computer games can leave a heavy imprint on the human psyche. The personality becomes antisocial, aggressive, uncontrollable, and ultimately completely degrades.

Video - “Gaming Addiction”

How to understand how harmless a computer game is? What is computer game addiction and how to deal with it?

Global technological progress has given us a lot of new and interesting things. The computer, which a few decades ago was a unique miracle of technology, accessible only to a select few, is now present in almost every home. It is difficult for a modern person to imagine his day without this universal device - it is our faithful companion both at work and at home, when we “rest” after a hard day. Undoubtedly, there is nothing terrible about watching an interesting movie on the World Wide Web in the evening or searching for the necessary data. But this is not all that a computer can offer us...

There are probably few people left on Earth who are not familiar with computer games, or at least have not heard of them. According to experts, the history of computer games goes back a little more than half a century - the first of them appeared in the distant 50s. By definition, a computer game is a program that serves to organize the game process, communicate with gaming partners and/or is itself a partner. Often such games are created based on books and films. And since 2011, in the United States, computer games have been officially recognized as a separate art form.

In recent years, the production of computer games has become a huge industry. Of course, demand creates supply, which means more and more people want to play. Naturally, an hour or two of gaming once a week “to relax” will not kill anyone. But is everything as simple with computer games as we would like to believe? Let's figure it out.

Computer gaming addiction, or gambling addiction- a form of addiction that manifests itself through obsessive passion for computer games and video games. Addiction forms especially quickly in cases where a person tries to solve his psychological problems and tasks with the help of games. For example, in the game you can feel like a completely different person, not the same as in real life; you can show feelings that are not customary to experience openly: aggression, anger; you can throw away real anxiety from the present time and go into the virtual world. According to research by experts, online games are the most addictive. History knows of cases of fatal consequences of such fun - for example, in 2005, a Chinese girl, who lost many days in a row at World of Warcraft, died of exhaustion.

At the moment, gaming addiction is not recognized as a disease. This disease is not officially included in the International Classification of Diseases. But debate over the adoption of this term is ongoing. According to experts, additional tests are needed to study in detail the impact of gambling addiction on the human body.

However, the results on the ground speak for themselves. Online games have captured the minds of humanity. The number of players is already in the millions. What is the catch in such a seemingly harmless activity? And the whole point is that, like any other addiction, it can drag you into its networks. The player forgets about everything in the world: food, sleep, basic hygiene, responsibilities to family, loved ones, children, not to mention physical activity and walks in nature. Unable to interrupt the gaming process, gambling addicts can lose their jobs and families. The real world for them is completely replaced by the virtual one.

But, naturally, it’s hardest for teenagers. These “no longer children, but not yet adults,” who are going through one of the most difficult periods in their lives, throw themselves into games “with their heads.” As a result, relationships with family deteriorate, exams fail, and exams fail. Former straight-A students fall into bad grades. In addition, over time, games begin to require more and more financial investments. Where can a person who does not yet earn money on their own get them? Many begin to beg from their parents, and when they stop giving, they take without asking. In such cases, urgent help is required - the young man is now unable to get out of this endless marathon alone...

How to recognize computer gaming addiction? Experts call these symptoms:

1. Reluctance to be distracted from a computer game;
2. Irritation when forced to be distracted from the game;
3. Euphoria or just a good feeling while being at the computer and playing a game;
4. Inability to schedule the end of a game session and time spent on the computer;
5. Forgetting about home and work responsibilities, studies, agreements, scheduled meetings while playing on the computer;
6. Large financial investments to ensure that devices and computer software are constantly updated;
7. Neglecting sleep, hygiene, health, in favor of spending as much time as possible in the game;
8. Refusal of normal meals, preference for mechanical “absorption” of irregular, monotonous food in front of the computer;
9. Abuse of psychostimulants: coffee, various energy drinks;
10. An obsessive desire to discuss a computer game with everyone who understands at least something about it.

In addition, addiction to computer games negatively affects both physical and mental health of a person. The following physical symptoms are common:

• Visual impairment, dry eyes;
• Headache;
• Changes in sleep patterns, sleep disorders;
• Digestive disorders due to irregular and unhealthy diet;
• Frequent back pain caused by prolonged sitting;
• Problems with posture;
• Decreased immunity;
• Constant feeling of fatigue;
• Carpal tunnel syndrome is a lesion of the nerve trunks in the wrist area. This disorder occurs due to uncomfortable working conditions with the mouse and keyboard and prolonged muscle strain;
• Neglect of personal hygiene and related problems.

Psychological symptoms of addiction are less noticeable to the naked eye, but no less significant. The player himself may not even notice how much time he spends on games, how he forgets to eat and moves away from his family and friends.

According to psychologists, the most susceptible to computer gaming addiction are people who are insecure, have low self-esteem, have difficulty communicating, are dissatisfied with life and themselves, are naturally shy and have complexes. The game gives them the opportunity to escape into another reality, fulfill their desires, experience new emotions, feel strong, significant, and armed. That is, in essence, real life is being replaced by a virtual game.

Psychologists include the following as the main reasons for the development of computer gaming addiction:

1. Lack of real quality communication. Most of all, this problem affects children and adolescents whose parents are too busy or prone to overprotection. The lack of real communications forces people to look for them in the virtual world;
2. Lack of bright interesting moments in life. When a person’s everyday life is filled with dullness and boredom, he tries to “get” positive emotions in the game;
3. Sexual dissatisfaction. Basically, the “victims” of gambling addiction are people who are dissatisfied with their personal life or do not have one. Also, sometimes a pathological attraction to games disguises various sexual disorders and deviations from the norm. After all, the beauty of toys is that the player is essentially anonymous, no one will “see through” him or poke fingers at him, which means he can express himself in different ways;
4. Unformed psyche. Often players “get stuck” mentally in childhood or adolescence, not wanting to accept adult life with all its responsibilities;
5. Social fears, phobias. Often behind an increased craving for games is a fear of interpersonal relationships, society as a whole, the inability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, and a lack of creativity and flexibility. In this case, the virtual world of the game can replace a person with the reality that he is so afraid of and provide a more comfortable environment. All this poses a serious threat to success in real life;
6. Conflicts, discord within the family. When everything is boring, “it’s not going well”, it’s not working out, there is a great temptation to go somewhere where you won’t be judged, and in general no one knows you;
7. A chance to escape real life problems. A person begins to think that with the help of a game he can relieve his stress, anxiety, depression, “escape” from problems in school, overload at work, discord in the family and circle of friends;
8. Presence of psychopathy. Psychopathy does not mean a disease, but pathological character traits, which under unfavorable conditions lead to prolonged stress and chronic diseases. Psychopaths are considered the most susceptible to various addictions.

According to psychologists, role-playing games pose the greatest danger. The very meaning of such games involves a person’s “entry” into the game, identifying himself with the character, the loss of the player’s individuality and his integration with the computer. And the stronger the immersion effect, the more difficult it becomes to tear yourself away from the game.

Computer games attract many people, but not everyone becomes a gamer. Players can be divided into 4 categories:

1. Situational game. Such people play when there are external factors: free time, competition. If there is no external influence, there will be no interest in the game either;
2. Episodic game. In such cases, people start playing computer games from time to time, but they are able to control themselves and limit the time spent in the game;
3. Systematic game. Such players are fond of computer games, but wasted time and unfulfilled responsibilities cause them remorse, as a result of which they may stop playing;
4. Gambling. For people in this group, gaming becomes the meaning of life and takes up virtually all of their time. When at the moment a person does not have the opportunity to play, he still plans the course of the game in his thoughts, waiting for the moment to return to it. Unfulfilled obligations, unclosed cases, losses, instead of being removed from the game, on the contrary, provoke him to continue further and further. In this case, we are already talking about true gambling addiction.

The development of addiction to computer games occurs in several stages:

1. Stage of mild infatuation. At this stage, adaptation to the game occurs;
2. Infatuation stage. Sharp and rapid formation of dependence. There is an increased desire to play, and gaming sessions become longer. The stakes in the game increase (if the game is played “for money”). At this stage, there is still no struggle between the desires to play or not to play, and a person can still refuse to play even if he wants to sit at the computer;
3. Dependency stage. At this stage, the magnitude of the dependence reaches its maximum value. The struggle between motives to “play” or “not play” is clearly evident; it is becoming increasingly difficult to choose “not to play.” The time spent at the computer increases sharply, excitement increases, and it becomes very difficult to tear yourself away from the game. If a player receives cash winnings, they are immediately returned to the game;
4. Attachment stage. The strength of dependence remains stable for a long period of time, then declines slightly and is fixed again and remains stable. Now the game turns into the center of the player's entire life. Money becomes only a symbol of the game. At this stage, a person can no longer overcome the desire to play on his own. The goal of the game is the process itself, not winning. It is very difficult for a person to abstain from gambling; such intervals are extremely small and only arise forcibly. The player is always immersed in his gaming fantasies.

What consequences does computer gaming addiction entail? Psychologists include:

• private and protracted conflicts at home, often family breakdown;
• loss of friends and close circle;
• loss of social status;
• large financial debts;
• personality degradation.

It is always easier to prevent any disorder than to cure it. And gambling addiction is no exception. According to psychologists, a very important part of preventing computer gaming addiction (as well as other addictions) is outreach work, primarily among young people. It is necessary to give them examples of how such addiction destroyed human lives, led players to poverty, to the loss of favorite activities and previous interests. It is important to point out that gambling addiction is often a consequence of a weak character and lack of willpower. Also in the prevention of gambling addiction among children, the positive example of the parents themselves and close adults is important - constantly observing how bright and interesting real life can be, independently taking part in it, the child is unlikely to want to exchange it for virtual life. And, of course, you should not neglect close emotional contact with your child - having found him among family and friends, the child will not be forced to chase him, running to the computer.

If such an addiction has already occurred, it is important to know that it is also treatable. But, depending on the stage of attachment to the game, its treatment may take months or years, full of prohibitions and restrictions.

Among the recognized methods of treating computer gaming addiction are the following:

• Conversations with a psychologist. The task of such sessions is to convince the player of the ephemeral nature of his virtual world, to show him all the beauty and perfection of real, real life;
• Drug treatment. An experienced doctor can prescribe special psychotropic drugs - antidepressants, antipsychotics;
• Attention to a loved one. It is very important to notice in time when a family member is immersed in games, try to pay more attention to him, diversify life, add new colors and impressions to it. After all, if a person, in addition to computer games, has other interests and hobbies, study, work, sports, a constant social circle, the likelihood of developing gambling addiction is negligible.

All these measures work best together, and under the supervision of specialists. Often, when treating a gambling addict, family psychotherapy is used - at the same time, many related problems of family members are solved.

If you are concerned about your family member's pathological passion for computer games, do not hush up the problem! It is very important to notice warning signs in time and seek qualified help. But don’t forget – a holy place is never empty. If you don’t fill the space freed up from games with lively, productive activities, there is a chance that other addictions will take their place - alcoholism or drug addiction. After all, in essence, a person who finds himself in such a difficult situation tries to find a way out for himself, a kind of “surrogate” for a normal life, which in reality does not exist for him. But to help find it, create it and love it - this is the specific task of the player himself and his loved ones. The task is difficult, but feasible, as many examples show.

“Be attentive to your loved ones, choose live communication, real life and always be happy!”
Anna Kutyavina