Being addicted to game has both affected and impacted the lives of many people, especially among the young children.
Truthfully, this has impacted my personal life all throughout high school. As adults, we realised that young people tend to spend their day by playing video games or any games from morning to night.
Every one of us was once a kid too. This is a normal phase that we must overcome. Once you have discovered the joy and fun in playing games, you will be totally immersed/absorbed in it.
The addiction starts here. When this happened, you will be playing games every single day and will never finish the work that has been assigned to you.
Several Stage of Getting Addicted to Game
Addicted to game doesn’t come instantly. It requires some phases and long period of habit to transforming a normal person to getting addicted to game. Below are the 4 main stage of gaming addiction.
1st Stage: Play for Fun
When you first time play a game, you might play it for fun. Winning or losing the game does not matter for you.
In this phase, it is either you just want to have fun with your friends or relieve yourself from stress.
2nd Stage: Play Regularly
Now, you started to get the excitement of the game itself.
You started to play it regularly. Unconsciously, you started to increase the frequencies of playing the game. Moreover, also started to ask your friends to play this game together with you.
3rd Stage: Aiming for The Next Level
Some of the game have this feature of the rank or level that create it own excitement for the players to compete in the games.
In this stage, you started to aim for the leaderboard and you’re challenging yourself if you can be inside the leaderboard rank or the top level.
Normally, you started to feel there is lack of something if you don’t play the games for one day. If you experience this, you’ll start to enter the game addiction problem. You should stop it before it go further to the next stage!
4th Stage: Red Zone
Play to win! Now, you’ve become the “pro player” and understand the game detail deeply.
You might started to get annoyed and stress when you’re losing the game.
Winning is a must in this stage. Now, you started to lose the fun of the game as winning is now become the pride and you don’t want to lose the leaderboard rank.
In the worse case, the gamer can throw and bang their gadget after losing a game. If you’re curious, you can find it on YouTube and type: “Angry gamer compilation”.
If you reach this stage, you’ve totally transformed into a game addict. However, don’t worry as we will give you efficient and effective tips to stop being addicted to game in this post!
What are The Impact of Game Addiction?
This will seriously affect the future and success of your life. Some people may find playing games as a way to escape from their reality.
The reason behind this is because games provide a new different universe for you, where you can do whatever you want and be whoever you want.
1. Addicted to Game Might Disconnect You to From World
But the fact is, playing games pushed you away from communicating with the people around you. It pushes you away from the real world.
Because of this, you might be having the fear of talking and interacting with the people you met.
Playing games distracts you from the reality you are facing at that moment. But keep in mind that you can never run from reality.
2. Time Wasted and Drive Away from Your Goal
Time is the most valuable thing from a human. You can’t ever buy time in your life.
Once you waste your time, there is no way to replace it back.
If you’re a person with big dreams, this bad habit of gaming addiction will just drive you away from your goal.
The time you can use for getting closer to your goal will just wasted. Don’t you realize that you’ve been busying on your game while other people are busy chasing their dream?
Well, of course this is different story if you’re a successful gamer streamer or You-tuber.
3. Risk of Obesity
Addicted to game can lead you to several disease such as obesity.
This is because when you’re focusing on game for too long, your body will be lack of movement. The only thing that working is only your eyes, brain, and finger while the rest of your body will remain stay.
4. Reduction of Vision and Eyesight
Playing too many online games can also increase the risk of health problems in the eye organ, especially loss of vision.
The human eye does not have sufficient protection from exposure to blue light, both from sunlight and electronic equipment.
Research from Harvard proves that blue light has long been identified as the most dangerous ray for the retina.
After penetrating the outside of the eye, blue light will reach the deepest part of the eye, the retina, and can cause long-term effects in the form of damage to the retina.
In addition, excessive exposure to blue light can also cause an increased risk of macular degeneration, glaucoma, and degenerative retinal disease that results in blindness. Read on how you should do if you’re seeing screen too much here.
5. Addicted to Game Could Lead You to Anxiety, Stress, and Depression
“Game is to relieve human from stress”. This is not completely true as for gamers, they tend to play to win.
When you start addicted to game, you will experience anxiety and stress when you losing the game. The worse case is, it can lead to depression.
Tips to Overcome Being Addicted to Game
At the end of the day, you have no other choice but to face it. The disadvantages caused by gaming addiction will for sure outweigh its benefits.
Remember to take some actions as it is never too late to make changes.
There are a lot of methods and ways that you can do to overcome the addiction you have. Here are some ways that might help you.
1. Make a Decision For a Change
This step is very crucial for every start. To make a change, you need to be committed that you are going to change your life and get rid of the bad habits you have.
Then, ask yourself the reason why you decided to make a change in the first place. This will help you stick to your plan and achieve your goals.
With this, you are able to be disciplined and keep moving forward. Never take a look at the past again and slowly get rid of it for good.
The key here is to always be consistent in making progress. At last, hard work will never disappoint you.
2. Find Replacement
There must be a reason that explains your behavior. This means that there must be something that encourages you to keep on playing that particular game.
You want to get that positive thing that you have been searching for. Identify the reason and replace the behavior with something more productive.
Start to replace the gaming addiction you have with something simple, easy and more productive. This could be many things such as building your side hustle, exercising, and many more
Once you found your new replacement, we’ll make sure that it is much easier for you to stop gaming addiction. Keep in mind that you’ll need to find a productive & better replacement, not the other game!
3. Record and Take Note of Your Daily Routine
Recording and monitoring your routine is very much necessary in solving this case. This helps you in giving the idea of what is happening in your life right now.
By doing this, you can monitor all the things you do during that day or week. Also, you will be able to know how much time you spent on playing games.
You will eventually notice either you are REALLY addicted to playing games or you THINK that you are addicted to playing games.
In fact, there is nothing wrong or bad with playing games. However, the unhealthy amount of time you spent on playing games is the one that matters.
That is why tracking how often you play, what you feel after playing and how many hours you spent is required to help you realize. After that, you can start making changes.
4. Eliminate All The Access to Your Game
This might be the hardest part yet the most effective method to stop your addiction. You might think that this is something that is nearly impossible for you to do, but, remember that you have made the decision at the start.
If you want to make it really easy for you to stop your addiction, genuinely get rid of it for good. If it is because of the game, uninstall it or delete your account.
For instance, if it is because of your PS4, sell it or do anything to remove it. Other example, if you play some online game, delete or sell your account. This will force you to stop playing effectively.
Try to imagine and picture this situation. If there is no chocolate bar inside your house, but only fruits, vegetables, proteins and etc., what do you think you are going to consume that day?
Case Study
There is also a study done on this by the Massachusetts General Hospital where they try to stop their patients from consuming sugary drinks.
Instead of telling them why they should or shouldn’t drink them, they changed the canteen by providing more water.
There was more water available for them, therefore, the easiest option that they can obtain/take easily is water. Both of them have the same concept.
You have started your journey so might not just remove it for good. It is not what you think, but it’s your action that matters most. As long as you are willing to make a change, you can do all the things.
5. Create Rules and Reward For Yourself
Try to reward yourself after you are done with your work. Use the if-then strategy.
For example, if you have finished your 5 hours work, you can allow yourself to play for 30 minutes or an hour.
If you have accomplished what you have planned, you can allow yourself to have some free time. When you get home after a very long day, remember to create a rule.
Another example, if I’m tired, I’ll go take a shower. Not that if I’m tired, I’ll go play some games. These are the things that you can start to substitute for a better routine.
Monitor Your Progress Closely
Once you’re able to stop it for one week, you definitely can stop for good!
It might took hard way in the beginning (this apply for any kind of addiction), but remember that good things takes time!
Bottom Line
You know what works best for you. You are the one who’s going to make the decision in the present for your future life.
So think about it wisely and look at the bigger picture. Know and realize how it is going to affect and impact the life of yours.
Keep in mind that it is never too late for anybody to change their life into better ones. It takes time but after all your hard work, you will eventually get there.
Hopefully you’ll find these ways and methods useful and able to solve your gaming addiction. Stay consistent and never give up!
