Mansoor Malik
Online video gaming has become one of the world’s most popular leisure time activities among youths these days. Research has consistently shown that gaming can bring many positive benefits including therapeutic, medical, health, cognitive, and educational benefits. However, spending too much time in gaming can be problematic and potentially addictive. Video game addiction may present itself as compulsive gaming, social isolation, mood swings, diminished imagination, and hyper-focus on in-game achievements, to the exclusion of other events in life. One of the most popular games Played today is Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), a game inspired by the Japanese film, Battle Royale. Specifically, in each game, PUBG parachutes 100 players on to a virtual island where teams fight each other to death until only one team is left alive. It was officially launched in December 2017 and became most downloaded app in Google play store. A 2018 market research survey conducted among Indian gamers (Quartz India 2018) reported that PUBG was the most popular game (62%) followed by the Free Fire (21%) and Fortnite (8%).The strong features built into the PUBG game results in very addictive game play. Some of the features of PUBG include sound effects, high-definition pictures, maps and the ability to talk to others in real time, operational methods, and so on. The psychological community has defined Video game addiction (VGA) as a unique behavioural addiction which is characterized by an excessive or compulsive use of computer games or video games that interferes with an individuals’ routine life. The World Health Organisation in 2018 declared gaming addiction as a mental health disorder. In just over a year of its release there have been multiple reports flowing in on the negative consequences the game has had on the individuals, especially the adolescents as the effects can easily be seen through their academics, sleep, social and various other patterns. In India, the cases seem to keep increasing.
Youngsters and adults spend a lot of time in playing PUBG. Many countries China Iraq, Jordan, Nepal and Pakistan had banned the game. Now it is turn of Indian government to completely ban it ,before it takes a heavy toll of youth in Kashmir.
Playing PubG game for long hours, make a person socially inactive isolated, aggressive in behaviour, and sleepiness which may lead suicidal thoughts. PUBG is thought to be increase the dopamine levels in the human body. As dopamine spreads through the system, it makes you more aggressive and involved, making you unfazed about the other realities and even lead to something fatal like suicide. . As had been in the case of recent shocking incident, where a 13-year boy from Kashmir committed suicide after his younger brother didn’t let him play PUBG game on a mobile phone . The game has a serious effect on the mental health, as it seems to be a serious addiction. People tend to play the game in chain mode and thus it increases the urge to play this game more and more. This makes a person interested in the game and the gamer becomes socially isolated, socially inactive which affects humans mental health, Which in turn could lead to Other health implications and its worst case may lead to Substance Abuse As well. A fitness trainer from Jammu and Kashmir allegedly addicted to playing PUBG, became mentally unbalanced and doctors claim that his mind was completely under the influence of the ‘PUBG’ game. The long hours of gaming can increase the chances of obesity, weaken the muscles and joints, cause incorrect posture, weaken eyesight and even cause headaches. Addiction to such games may have adverse effects on education of children, disruption of sleeping cycles, mood swings, and social isolation. Violent games like PUBG can trigger aggressive behaviour and intensify the spread of drug addiction. Despite these negative implications, youngsters and adults spend a lot of time in playing PUBG. Many countries China Iraq, Jordan, Nepal and Pakistan had banned the game. Now it is turn of Indian government to completely ban it, before it takes a heavy toll of youth in Kashmir.
(The author is a freelancer. Views are his own) [email protected]
