Let’s start by defining what addiction is. Addiction is the inability to control the use of a substance or behavior despite having negative consequences, in this case it is the inability to control when you want to play video games. it happens when the reward center gives your brain dopamine when you do something good, in a natural setting this would be finding a wild berry bush with berries that taste good. but in the artificial setting this could be getting a hard-to-get item or beating the game.

Also, dopamine is a powerful neurotransmitter in the brain. it sustains human’s attention and interest. and dopamine is self-reinforced where the more you do a certain activity, the more you do something the more dopamine is released. therefore making you more driven to that behavior.

Some symptoms of a gaming addiction is:

• having intense urges to play video games.
• spending money you don’t have on games.
• stopping social activity for preference of gaming.
• continuing to play video games even though it is causing problems in your home, school, or work life.
• displaying signs of anger or irritability when you have to stop playing games, even for brief periods of time.
• lying about how long you play games.
• needing more screen-time to get the same levels of enjoyment.
• neglecting your appearance, including not cleaning or grooming.

RELATED STORIES:

• https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/are-video-games-and-screens-another-addiction#:~:text=The%20reward%20center%20in%20the,same%20pleasure%20again%20and%20again.
• https://www.video-game-addiction.org/what-makes-games-addictive.html
• https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/video-game-addiction/
• https://gamequitters.com/video-game-addiction/
• https://www.psychguides.com/behavioral-disorders/video-game-addiction/

TAKE ACTION:

• https://www.foothillsatredoak.com/teen-recovery-blog/5-ways-on-how-to-quit-gaming-addiction/
• https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/video-game-addiction
• https://www.wikihow.com/End-a-Video-Game-Addiction
• https://www.healthygamer.gg/blog/how-to-stop-playing-video-games
• https://gamequitters.com/respawn/