Video Game Addiction and Abuse, and Symptoms

How video game addiction affects the brain

Some studies indicate that excessive use of games, smartphones and/or the internet likely hinders brain development in youth and adolescents, especially if this behavior lasts for a long time. Research also shows that when individuals are engrossed in gaming, pathways in their brains are triggered much the same way as narcotic addicts, producing feelings of pleasure that can manifest into addictive behavior. However, some psychologists conclude the release of dopamine that makes gamers feel good while playing would occur during any fun activity. Even so, the reward of feel-good chemicals released by the brain could be a motivator for unhealthy amounts of video game playing.

The Journal of Psychiatric Research analyzed changes in the brain of patients with online game addiction compared to professional video game players, because both groups play video games for extended periods. This study indicated that changes in the brain occur in both groups, but with very different results. Those with online game addictions showed increased impulsiveness, recurring errors, and decreased gray matter in specific areas of the brain compared to the healthy control group. The group with online game addictions also displayed increased activity in the thalamus, which would reinforce their impulsive or addictive behavior.

Behavioral signs of video game addiction

There are numerous changes in mood and behavior that may be indicative of video game addiction, whether a person plays online or off-line. It’s common to see a decline in performance at school or work or to have problems at home or with relationships due to the amount of time spent gaming. Children who experience more violence in virtual worlds may display aggressive behavior in the real world. Gaming addiction can even include a form of withdrawal when not playing that results in anxiety, irritability, or depression. Other behavioral changes include:

• Spending more and more time playing video games
• Neglecting friendships or other hobbies and activities previously enjoyed
• Abstaining from video games is difficult or even impossible
• Lying to people about the amount of time spent playing video games
• Justifying excessive video game playing
• Downplaying the impact of excessive gaming
• Blaming others for excessive video game playing
• Replacing real-life friends with virtual friends
• Neglecting personal hygiene or grooming
• Skipping meals and/or eating junk food while playing
• Staying up late to play, even with something important scheduled early the next day
• Drinking excessive amounts of caffeine or energy drinks to stay awake and continue gaming
• Having emotional outbursts when games are taken away
• Experiencing frustration, irritation, or anger when forced to stop playing
• Feeling angry or aggressive towards anyone preventing or limiting access to video games
• Feeling anxious or depressed when not playing video games for prolonged periods
• Spending large amounts of money on new games and/or gaming equipment in lieu of paying bills or other obligations
• Losing interest in sexual relationships
• Continuing to play despite all the problems caused by excessive gaming
• Using gaming to ease bad moods or overcome negative feelings
• Using gaming to escape stressful situations or conflicts at home, school, or work

How video game addiction affects the body

Compulsive video game playing can have numerous negative effects on the body, whether the person plays on a video game console or personal computer. Gamers don’t necessarily have to be addicted to feel the physical effects of playing video games for hours. Although professional gamers and video game addicts run a much higher risk of bodily injuries, even casual gamers can experience some of the same player injuries and other physical symptoms.

Early physical effects of video game addiction

Gamers may feel the physical effects of prolonged play at different intervals, depending on how long they play at a time and their positioning while playing. Both console and PC gamers tend to experience tiredness, dry or red eyes, eyestrain, and headaches and migraines. They may also experience soreness in the shoulders, neck, and back if they play in a hunched position. Console gamers tend to experience pain in their thumbs, while PC gamers are more likely to have pain in their hands and wrists. Depending on the amount of time spent playing, weight gain can occur early on.

Severe and long-term physical effects of video game addiction

What begins as minor irritations can become more severe physical effects with prolonged, pathological gaming. Soreness in the shoulders, neck, and back can turn into muscle strains. Repetitive stress injuries can occur that turn mild pain in the fingers, hands, wrists, and/or elbows into more serious ailments. Tendonitis, which is an inflammation of the thumb, hand, or wrist, may occur. Carpal tunnel syndrome, caused by a pinched nerve in the wrist, can lead to numbness, weakness, and pain in the hand and/or wrist. Cubital tunnel syndrome, caused by a pinched nerve inside the elbow, can lead to the same symptoms as carpal tunnel but extend into the arm.

Hours spent sitting down while playing leads to a sedentary lifestyle, which could cause weight gain to turn into obesity. Lack of physical exercise can lead to muscle weakness and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Flickering lights and graphics in video games can trigger seizures in gamers with epilepsy or other seizure disorders. Prolonged game playing can promote lowered concentration and attention span, especially in younger players. Long-term video game addiction could lead to peripheral neuropathy, which causes numbness, weakness, and pain in the hands and feet.

Further Resources

Both the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the World Health Organization offer information on the symptoms and treatment of video game addiction.

Video game addiction is a growing problem experts don’t understand well

There are more than 2.5 billion video gamers from all over the world. Video game addiction is a developing crisis that most experts don’t understand very well. While a person’s geographical region isn’t a significant indicator of their risk of video game addiction, statistics show that certain countries have taken notice of the problem. Disordered internet gaming seems to appear mostly in male adolescents, especially in Asian countries.

Dr. Alok Kanojia, an expert in video game addiction psychiatry, posted the results of several studies on his Healthy Gamer website. Studies indicate that internet gaming disorder affects between 1% and 10% of gamers in North America and Europe, and researchers found that 0.3% to 1% of participants from the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany fit the criteria for an internet gaming disorder diagnosis. An epidemiological review performed by the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology showed that the prevalence of internet gaming disorder ranged from 0.7% to 27.5%. Another study of gamers in Norway discovered that 1.4% were addicted gamers, and 7.3% were problem gamers. Estimates indicate that 10% of Singapore children are addicted to gaming and the internet, but the highest prevalence of video game addiction is in Iran, with an estimate of 22.8%.

Video game addiction in the U.S. is increasing, especially among young males

Statistics show that more than 200 million people in the United States play video games. Although gaming has traditionally been male-dominated, recent studies show that the gender breakdown is more balanced than previously thought, with 54% of male gamers and 46% female. However, males tend to play more often and for longer periods than females, especially young males.

A study of pathological gaming among youth between the ages of eight and 18 by Dr. Douglas Gentile in the Psychological Science journal noted that 33% of participating males played video games daily. In comparison, only 12% of participating females did. The study also provided evidence that 8.5% of youth who play video games would be classified as pathological gamers. A survey conducted in March/April 2018 by Pew Research reported that 26% of adolescents believed they spent too much time playing video games. By gender, 41% of boys aged 13 to 17 thought they spent too much time gaming, compared to only 11% of girls. More accurate video game addiction statistics are necessary to better recognize groups at higher risk of developing a gaming disorder.