Symptoms of gaming addiction

Do you ever tell yourself '1 more game before I sleep'? Or 'Just another game'? Well, if you do, you are probably addicted. Once again thank you for tuning in to my blog and if you're new, feel free to check out my previous posts.

If you're still unsure about your addiction, it's time to face REALITY. Keep on reading.

A fellow gamer, Ong Ming Jun, was an addict years ago. Fortunately, he managed to change for the better and was fit for an interview from my group and I.  

Ming Jun claimed that he was an addict since 8, when he played his first computer game. He was hooked from then on, till recently. Throughout the years, he showed different symptoms of his addiction. Mainly, 3 prominent symptoms.

First of which, he recalled that he used to be so glued to the computer, that he lied to his parents about the use of the computer. He used to tell his parents that he was using the computer for school work, but that wasn't the case. Eventually, as his addiction rose, his grades fell.

His parents ultimately caught him red handed as he was playing his game. He displayed signs of defensiveness when confronted. Denial was all he could display, he had no other emotions, like a robot programmed to play games. Whenever his parents interfered with his game, he would rage and tell them to go away. Insisting that he was not addicted, he lied to his parents and ultimately, himself.

During his last year in primary school, he had to take the PSLE. Unfortunately, he was still addicted to gaming, just different games. Instead of paying attention during class, he would daydream about his game and get distracted. Fortunately, he managed to get a hold of himself the week before PSLE and studied as much as he could.

After PSLE, he went on to secondary school and eventually realised that the workload is more than primary school. He then forced himself to stop playing and focus in school. "My life now is way better than it was back then!" as quoted from Ming Jun.

Do you think that you are spending too much time gaming? From the graph above, if you're in the purple ore yellow range, you're probably addicted and experiencing the symptoms that Ming Jun had. It's not too late to change! If he can change, so can you! Instead of asking yourself '1 more game before I sleep?" tell yourself "1 more Mathematics question." That is all for this post, stay tuned for my post on tips on how to curb. Once again thank you all for your support.

Source: Interview with Ming Jun