Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Essay Draft 2

Globalisation has contributed to major advancements in technology and seamlessly connects people across the globe. However, the Internet has also led to the creation of online games and a new problem increasingly evident in society; gaming addiction. Gaming addiction is defined as “the excessive or compulsive use of computer and video games in a way that multiple areas of their lives are damaged, such as school, social, family, occupational, psychology and health (lowa State University, 2011).” A study on Singapore youths have shown that one out of ten (10%) gaming youths are addicted (lowa State University, 2011). With the growing concern of gaming addiction among teens in Singapore, the government and parents should collectively monitor the behaviour of youths and actively promote campaigns to fight addiction. 

Gaming addiction can result in serious health problems with gamers sacrificing sleep just to earn more hours for game play. Common medical problems that arise from game addiction include “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, dry eyes, backaches, severe headaches, eating irregularities, such as skipping meals, failure to attend to personal hygiene, and sleep disturbance (Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, n.d).” In the social context, game addicts spend more time in seclusion and less with family and friends (Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, n.d). The addiction can place stress and tension on family relationships and impede one’s ability to sort priorities such as education and family. An unhealthy emotional connection to the game character and over-reliance on-line friendships may be formed.


To ameliorate these problems, the Singapore government should actively promote campaigns to educate young parents of the negative social and health impacts tied to excessive gaming. A game addict can become “far too immersed in the virtual world, and as a result, not realize he or she has a problem (Chua & Poon, 2010).” They do not realize the addiction problem that is adversely affecting their lives and that of their families. Thus, family members of youth gamers need to be more proactive and immediately seek medical help from professionals if addiction symptoms surface. To tackle heavy addicts, the government can introduce gaming rehabilitation, similar to drugs and smoking rehabilitation common in countries such as the United States. Gamers often find it hard to quit on their own and require the support and help from others. The rehabilitation program will allow addicts to render support to each other and rid the bad habit.
Early childhood education is extremely important in the prevention of gaming addiction. Parents should not simply tell the child to stop playing games, but rather, encourage and help the child find other healthier pastimes to replace gaming habit (Chua & Poon, 2010). By engaging in outdoor leisure activities, the child not only benefits from a healthier lifestyle but also significantly decreases the risk of gaming addiction. Parents also should establish rules and limit the child’s Internet usage to 2-3 hours a day to avoid spending excessive time on games.
Additionally, similar to sexual education in secondary schools, gaming education can be introduced to inform students about the risks of excessive gaming. Teachers can pay more attention to students’ schoolwork performance and stay vigilant to spot possible addiction symptoms as early as they may surface. 
In conclusion, gaming addiction is a growing problem in Singapore, with one out of ten youths affected. It results in negative social and medical problems. However, through government initiatives, proper education and emotional support from parents, gaming addiction can be reduced and controlled.

References: 

Chua, H. H., & Poon, C. H. (2010). Stress may turn youngsters into video game addicts. The Straits Times. p.a6 Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://newshub.nus.edu.sg/news/1012/PDF/STRESS-st-9dec-pA6.pdf


Cornett, S (2004). The Usability of Massively Multiplayer Online
Roleplaying Games: Designing for New Users. Indiana University 

Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery (n.d.). What is Video-game addiction? Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://www.addictionrecov.org/addictions/?AID=45

Iowa State University (2011, January 19). Risks, consequences of video game addiction identified in new study. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 14, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110119120550.htm


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