Game of Death

Do you find yourself constantly thinking about gaming, even when you’re not playing? Have you ever experienced feelings of sadness, anxiety or irritability when you couldn’t play games? Do you feel like you need to spend more and more time gaming to satisfy your urge for it?

If the answer is Yes to any of these, it’s time to press the panic button.

With more youngsters getting hooked to gaming apps, turning it into an addiction, there has been an alarming increase in the number of suicides associated with gaming across India, including by school children.

The most recent case was that of a Class 10 student, who jumped to his death from a high rise building at Raidurgam in Cyberabad. The 14-year-old was addicted to online games. When his parents scolded him for spending time on online games instead of his studies, he took the extreme step.  

Intentionally addictive

“Young brains are developing brains. The malleability, plasticity of these brains, along with poor impulse control issues leads to finding an escape in the gaming world. It is easy to fall prey to quick dopamine hits on besting a difficult level, or getting an achievement badge,” says Dr Era Dutta, Consultant Psychiatrist, Tedx speaker and Founder, Mind Wellness.

Game developers understand the psychology and neurobiology of their target audience as well as the pain points, she says. Inherently, games have to be engaging to be successful, both by nature of activity and business. “Today’s video games are designed to shorten the attention span and get kids addicted to dopamine. The focus shifts to the game world while the real world becomes a dream park,” she explains.

What is gaming addiction?

Gaming disorder is a term used to describe a pattern of excessive and problematic video gaming that leads to negative consequences in an individual's life. It is not limited to children, it can affect people of all ages. The two pandemic years made the addiction worse, and those who got addicted to gaming during that period struggled to let go of it once life came back to normal. Just like alcohol and drug addiction, many showed signs of stress and withdrawal symptoms.

“While IGD or Internet Gaming Disorder is not a diagnosis yet, it is being studied and researched,” Era Dutta says.

Magnitude of the problem

Currently, the Gaming industry is a multi-billion-dollar one. Anuj Kodam CEO, WALL.app, says it is a massively growing market, expected to reach $5 billion by 2025, increasing at almost 30% CAGR (compound annual growth rate). “This growth will come from revenue of app purchases, advertising, IP, streaming etc.,” he says.

According to a report published by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and Ernst & Young (EY), revenue from transaction-based games in 2022 is estimated at Rs 8,500 crore. There are about 46 crore online gamers, and the number is set to cross 50 crore in the next three years.

Even conservative estimates suggest that as many as 12 lakh people who indulge in such games may present one or more signs of an addictive disorder, including depression, anxiety disorders, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.

Is your child battling a gaming addiction

“Remember, addiction is never a choice. One has to create a conducive safe environment to speak with the child,” advises Era Dutta.  One can begin by having candid conversations in the household around technology and its upsides as well as downsides. Adults can consider speaking to children about the possibility of addiction and dependence on the game. “As parents, ensure that balance is promoted and model the behaviour,” she says. “Lead by example, limiting your screen time. Set clear boundaries to using gadgets and encourage alternative things to do instead of games. Among other things, children should be taught to set internal time limits rather than external (by parents).”

Cases

 In June 2023, a boy, identified as Sathvik of AP’s Konaseema district, committed suicide after losing Rs 78,000 while paying online rummy. His aunt had transferred the amount from Dubai to pay for his uncle’s surgery, which he blew up.

Around the same time, B Uday, an ITI student at Warangal, lost Rs 46,000 to online rummy. He hanged himself.

In January 2022, a 11-year-od boy had allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at the rooftop of his house in MP’s Bhopal. As per his parents, the minor spent around Rs 6,000 on game without their permission.

In February 2022, a 14-year-od boy, allegedly addicted to online gaming, took his own life in central Mumbai’s Hindmata area. Police says he was addicted to the online game Garena Free Fire, a famous battle royale mobile game.

Tami Nadu reported at east 40 suicides in the last three years, a inked to online gaming. It led the state government to ban online games such as rummy and poker and a other games that involve betting.

Andhra Pradesh and Kerala followed suit in banning the apps. But the gaming industry was quick to challenge these laws and the courts rued them unconstitutional, saying banning online games of ski goes against Article 19 of the Constitution, as ‘Games of ski’ are protected under the right to freedom of speech and expression.

Who is the most impaced?

Era Dutta says that factors which make a person predisposed to gaming include:

Age — adolescents and young folks are more susceptible
Loneliness
Underlying depression
Comorbid substance addiction
Problems with social interaction
High stress environment
Limited supervision
Not holding a job or other responsibilities  

Evaluate yourself

Preoccupation: Do you find yourself constantly thinking about gaming, even when not paying?

Withdrawal: Have you ever experienced feelings of sadness, anxiety, or irritability when you couldn’t pay games?

Craving: Do you fee you need to spend more and more time gaming to satisfy your urge for it?

Caught up: Have you tried to cut down on gaming or quit, but found it difficult or not possible?

Priorities: Have you given up activities you used to enjoy because of your gaming habits?

Harmful fixation: Despite any problems or negative consequences, do you continue to game?

Deception: Have you ever lied to your family or others about how much time you spend on gaming?

Coping tactic: Do you use gaming as a way to deal with negative moods, like guilt or hopelessness?

Spill over effect: Have your gaming habits ever jeopardized a job or relationship?  

Meeting five or more criteria in the past year, resulting in significant impairment of life, is a diagnostic marker.

Young brains are developing brains. The malleability, plasticity of these brains, along with poor impulse control issues leads to finding an escape in the gaming word. It is easy to fall prey to quick dopamine hits on besting a difficult eve, or getting an achievement badge — Dr Era Dutta