Killing Time Online (On Game Addiction)

I have been, in the past a part of this community. I played a 3D online game wherein the characters were of so much likeness to the real human appearance. I had so much fun killing monsters and fighting other players. It was as if I live in a different dimension. I became the hero. I was running ahead of others. I felt strong and great. I fulfilled one of my dreams as a kid, to be a warrior. We had our own kingdom and we go to wars for it. I made a lot of friends who look up to my skills. Being one of the very few girls who play online made me very proud of myself. It felt so good that I wanted it to be real. I wanted to stay in it and play it for the rest of my life. I dream about it. I think of different strategies and plans during class. It felt so fulfilling. Along with the victory, my grades started diving until they were already near the bottom. Then, at that moment, I realized how addicted I was. This is game addiction.


Game addiction takes over one's life just like what happened to me and to all other gamers out there. It's a concept which cannot be encapsulated in just one sentence. This kind of addiction plays with the desires and the ego of the person. Neuropsychology explains it through the concept of the natural composition of the human body in the brain chemical called NEUROTRANSMITTERS. The main neurotransmitter involved in addiction is DOPAMINE. Dopamine is responsible for the susceptibility of the person to cravings. A person with low level of dopamine is more likely to get hooked on gaming as compared to someone with a high level of it. The idea of being a hero captivates the psychological needs of a person. In the game, you get to win and you know what is in store for you. You have the idea of the rewards thus making you more and more excited for it. In the long run, you develop the yearning and further on become addicted.

Life is not a bowl of cherries. We live in a wicked world. there are times when we remain helpless. There is just nothing we could do but to accept what is there in front of us. This is the bitter reality of life. When you play online games, you become a fighter. You get to defend yourself from all the monsters, you win over battles, and you surpass numerous obstacles without even standing from your chair. Reality is translated into pixels and in this pixels translation, you are strong and powerful. This artificial world becomes an escape from the true problems people are facing whether with their family or peers. Consecutive wins makes the person crave for more. It makes you forget about other things such as your calculus exam the next day. You get jammed in the fantasy of your own heroism.

It's very difficult to stop once you started. It's easier said than done. Once you enter this world, you lose your way back. It takes a lot to give up gaming. Many people would be questioning the game addicts but I think it would be better if we help them. Like what I've mentioned, there are certain people who are very defenseless against this addiction. It would help a lot if we do something for them rather than judge them. However, at the end of the day, we are still responsible for our own behaviors. Once you stop swinging your arms in the middle of the sea, you drown. Once you fall off the boat, you have to swim or else the waters will swallow you.