Online games are one of the most popular leisure activities for young adults and middle-aged people today. As technology advances, more people find online games an excellent way to escape the realities of life or just use them as a hobby. Some individuals are also making online gaming a full-time career with the decreasing number of other employment opportunities available in the market. In the following few sections, we can observe some of the drawbacks of playing online games today:
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Addiction
Addiction to online gaming is a real thing. There are many studies conducted on online gaming over time, and the conclusions showcase that addiction to online gaming is serious and can lead to disorders as well. The game’s design is made to force the player to make progress, making it very difficult to stop. Addiction can interfere in living a regular life for an individual and disrupt activities that may be critical for them.
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Aggression
Aggression is another major problem associated with online gaming today. Frustrations that arise from failures can cause aggression among the players. The aggression is then identified and tackled by friends and family members in one way or another. The manifestation of aggression is often identified as hostility and angry behavior. Games that have a violent component in them cause toxic behavior and lead to aggressive sentiments. Aggression might also become a part of the individual’s personality if left unchecked.
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Health Problems
Online gaming is notably leading to several physical and psychological problems for gamers. Several health issues have been recorded over time. Some of these include high levels of stress, obesity due to decreased physical activity, visual disorders due to high exposure to digital devices, arm injuries, disturbed patterns of sound sleep, high anxiety levels, and even bad eating habits. It is incredibly critical for gamers to have a healthy lifestyle so they do not fall into the trap of health issues.
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Cyberbullying
Another major drawback that gamers have identified over time is cyberbullying. Several online predators keep track of gamers’ activities. Hacking, identity theft, stalking, etc., are some of the major types of cyberbullying activities that gamers have reported. The obsession of followers can lead to harassment as well, which further causes problems for gamers in the long run.
Apart from the drawbacks mentioned above, several other limitations of online gaming need to be tackled. As the industry is fairly new, researchers are still investigating possible side effects and finding best practices that gamers can adopt to keep themselves safe and secure. Viruses and malware are some of the leading problems that gamers have to keep track of as well. Hcasi