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/