Physical consequences of gaming addiction

If you are reading this, thank you for dropping by. You may know that my previous post was about the social consequences of gaming addiction. Today, I'll be sharing about the physical consequences of gaming addiction. 'Wait whaaaaat? There are physical consequences as well?' Yes, there are. In fact, the consequences of gaming addiction outweigh the benefits.

Gaming for long hours can lead to several medical conditions such as backaches, eye strain, headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome (numbness, weakness or pain in the fingers or hands). These conditions can affect you in the long run and should not be taken lightly. My cousin suffered from severe back pain and eventually went to a doctor. Eventually, his spine was curved abnormally due to bad sitting postures. Although he wasn't addicted. Now you may be wondering, 'how is his back pain related to gaming?' Well, the fact that he contracted this problem without an addiction proves that it can happen easily. He was an avid gamer but not on an addicted level. 

 

In addition, gaming addiction can cause obesity as well. Researchers found out that gamers eat an extra 80 calories after gaming for an hour, as opposed to those who rested for the same amount of time. The research showed that those who gamed burned an extra 21 calories but overcompensated for those calories with the food they eat. This means that those who play for 3 hours a day eat an extra 180 calories a day! That is almost 66 000 calories a year! If this keeps up, you can easily gain 9-10kg in a year. Obesity will pose a completely different set of health risks for you. Such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer. You can't respawn in this world, what is done cannot be undone.

Make the right choice.

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/278074-negative-effects-of-video-game-addiction/
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1389096/Playing-games-encourages-obesity-teens-making-hungry.html

11 Horrifying Cases Of Video Game Addiction

Here's a video about real cases that happened due to gaming addiction. Watch it at your own risk! 0.0

Social consequences of gaming addiction

So you might be wondering, 'What's so bad about playing video games all day?'. Well for starters, you may be subconsciously ignoring your friends and family, simply put, YOUR social life. You might have experienced the urge to play games instead of going out with your friends when they invite you, this is a sign that you may have an addiction. Gaming can indeed help us to escape reality, however, is indulging to the point of addiction really worth it? Well, I do not think so. Games may entertain you for hours, but your friends and families are much more important because they can achieve something that a game cannot. Which is being your companion, your listening ear, or even your best friend.

If you do not believe me, I personally know a friend who suffered from addiction and had many friendships broken. He was introduced to a new game by his friends and eventually got hooked. His friends did not expect him to be engrossed to the extent where he found them annoying when they tried to invite him to a movie. Eventually, his friends gave up and ignored him. After 2 years, he realised that it was not worth it as he treasured his friends more. Unfortunately, he does not have their contacts anymore.

Fortunately, I have some tips for you on how to curb your addiction and stay socially healthy! Firstly, you can assign a family member to remind you to stop playing once you exceed your initial playing duration. Secondly, you can try a reward system for everyday that you do not play. For example, buying a chocolate bar when you accomplish a certain number of days without gaming. Lastly, when your interest for games decreases, try to find a new passion or hobby. This can drastically help you keep your mind off gaming and you won't even remember your addiction.

This is how far gaming addiction can affect you, AND this is a real example of a social consequence, other cons of gaming addictions will be in the other posts. Stay tuned!

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/video-game-addiction-in-teens-what-is-too-much-and-how-to-curb-the-problem/