Video Games: From Obsession to Fatality

Video Games: From Obsession to Fatality

By Ashley Matthew

Many people of all ages enjoy playing video games. There are several games out there that they play to keep themselves entertained. However, sometimes a simple hobby like gaming can turn into a dangerous obsession that can hurt not only other people but also the gamers themselves.

Obsessions with games can cause many issues. One problem includes gamers not being physically active. Because of the gamers not being active enough, it could lead to obesity which causes several health risks.

Rather than sitting at a computer or game console for long periods at a time, gamers should take multiple breaks during game play to move around or either limit how much time they play games  so they will still have time to be physically active. If possible, set a timer to go off while playing a video game so when it goes off, you know to stop playing to take a break. Another way to solve this problem if you still want to play games while also remaining physically active is to play a game which requires physical movement such as Just Dance, Dance Dance Revolution, Dance Central or other Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect games.  By remaining physically active, it lowers the risk of obesity and other health issues that could occur from obsessive gaming.

When obsession causes you to take care of your own personal responsibilities, it may cause issues as well. For example, some gamers have lost their jobs from missing work days to play games. It has also caused students to skip classes, not study or do homework which could ultimately lead to poor grades. Gamers should always take care of their important priorities such as work or education first before playing games. 

Another danger from gaming is that some gamers become so obsessed with it that they don’t take breaks to eat, sleep or use the bathroom. Because of this, the consequences of those actions can lead to death.  One example occurred in  August 2005 when a man in South Korea died in an Internet café after playing a video game called StarCraft for days with very little sleep or food.

Obsessive gaming can also cause other health complications that can lead to death.  One British gamer died after playing video games on his Xbox for 12 hours. Autopsy results showed that his death occurred from a blood clot caused by deep vein thrombosis.

Another danger of gaming obsession is not only ignoring your responsibilities but also your friends and family.  In September 2009, a Korean couple became so obsessed with raising a baby in a virtual game that they neglected their own three month old daughter to the point where the child starved to death while the parents constantly left the girl unattended so they could play a video game called Prius Online at an Internet café.  When you have responsibilities that involve others such as taking care of a child, gamers should always put the child’s needs first over a virtual game.

As a gamer, I know how a game you only intend to play for a half an hour could easily lead into hours of gameplay.  I’m not saying gamers shouldn’t play video games at all but gamers should know their limits and consider the risks of excessive game play. By being aware of the dangers that too much game play can cause, they can take action to prevent any danger to themselves or others when enjoying the hobby of video gaming.