The average age of a person facing a gaming addiction is 35 years old, this may come as a surprise to some but is a reality to many. At this age, many of those who spend an excessive amount of time on gaming still have jobs, spouses, even kids, and these too often take a backseat to gaming. Gamers often engage in playing after work, during weekends, and use much if not all of their free time inside a game. They miss out on family activities and events, sleep, and healthy exercising habits.
But, is this digital addiction an actual disorder? Or is it just a symptom of a different underlying cause? Is anxiety or depression, or wanting to merely escape everyday life to blame? Not all experts agree on the subject, but those closest to the issue believe addiction to games or smart phones is in fact a disorder. When effects to the brain are studied, digital engagement has the same effect on the brain as substance use. Furthermore, the World Health Organization is on the verge of officially classifying “Gaming Disorder” in its Disease Manual.
The United States seems to fall behind in its approach to taking digital addiction seriously. Asia already has hundreds of facilities that specialize in treating individuals who are addicted to screens, while the U.S. has just a mere fraction in comparison.
Much of the addictive factor in gaming has to do with the hit of dopamine a user gets while playing. When a new level is completed or a goal is accomplished in a game, the brain will release a bit of dopamine making the user feel good. This feeling is what is addictive. Research and development teams for games and apps have spent millions of dollars and man-hours finding new ways to make their programs more engaging and more addictive. These developers want you to keep coming back to their game because of how it makes you feel. While games are meant to be fun, the addictive element in modern digital games is so high that other areas of life suffer and seem less important. Should a game really come before family, work, education, or social functions?
Brain scans via MRI’s show the difference on the same brain when in the midst of the addiction, versus having been media-free for several weeks. When using digital devices, the brain shows very little activity especially in areas pertaining to memory and decision-making. However, after having been unplugged and off devices for a period of a few weeks, the same brain will show normal activity in those areas. These kinds of results show just how damaging digital addiction can be in changing the way the brain functions.
Dr.Kardaras is an ivy leagued trained Psychologist who has dedicated his career to developing programming that helps those struggling with gaming, screen, and other tech addictions. Dr.Kardaras has recently launched another program serving those in
Utah and the West entitled Omega Recovery West at Recovery Ways, for adults struggling with these types of addictions.
Below is a video of Dr.Kardaras featured on the 20/20 Episode of Digital Addiction:
For help or questions on Gaming and Tech Addiction Treatment please call us today at 1-888-986-7848 or to learn more about Omega West at Recovery Ways please go to our webpage: https://www.recoveryways.com/omega-west
For help or questions on Gaming and Tech Addiction Treatment please call us today at 1-888-986-7848 or to learn more about Omega West at Recovery Ways please go to our webpage: https://www.recoveryways.com/omega-west
