Benefits:
- Helps relieve stress when feeling pressured and tired from studying or work. Online games, as a technological achievement, offer more interaction than other types of games. Unlike playing with a machine, online games involve interacting with another person's mind, allowing communication, conversation, and exploration of the surrounding world.
Harms:
- Consumes a significant amount of time. This is indisputable. The time spent on games could be used for various other activities, such as studying, spending time with a significant other, earning money, or engaging in sports. Unfortunately, players often lose track of time, spending excessive hours on games.
- Involves financial costs. Playing games at home may incur electricity costs and wear on electronic devices, but these are relatively minor. However, playing games at internet cafes, where the hourly rate can be considerable, adds up to a significant financial burden. To achieve a “pro” level in games, players often spend hours each day, leading to substantial monthly expenses.
- Narrows your mindset. Spending one-third of your day immersed in games, constantly thinking about them, leaves little time for relaxation, reading, or engaging in other recreational activities. Two-thirds of the remaining time is allocated to sleep, meals, and daily routines, leaving little room for a well-rounded life. This often leads to fatigue and irritability.
- Affects academic performance, work, and personal development, making individuals more indifferent and uncommunicative. The erosion of health, time, and mental flexibility due to excessive gaming contributes to poor academic performance. Gamers often skip classes or attend without focus. This negatively impacts relationships and makes individuals less responsive and engaging.
- Online gaming can lead to a decline in your social life. While it may seem that you are socializing with other players, the interactions are often superficial. Spending too much time on games limits interactions with people outside the gaming world. The focus on in-game relationships can negatively affect real-life friendships and relationships. Many true friends and good relationships may be lost as a result. Moreover, if you have a romantic partner, you may neglect them, prioritizing your in-game character over your real-life relationship. Many relationships have ended due to this neglect.
- Gaming can lead to heightened emotional sensitivity, irritability, and a tendency to be taciturn, especially towards parents. When not allowed to play, individuals may experience feelings of deprivation and restlessness, easily leading to conflicts.
- After quitting online games, individuals may experience feelings of emptiness and aimlessness, similar to the withdrawal symptoms from quitting drugs. Having become accustomed to a specific routine while gaming, individuals may struggle to readjust to life without games. Nostalgia for the gaming world may lead some individuals back to the gaming environment.
It is crucial to note that these points are generalizations, and individual experiences may vary. While some people may play online games in moderation without significant negative consequences, others may struggle with addiction and its associated harms. It is essential to maintain a balance between gaming and other aspects of life for overall well-being.