John He

Professor Creaney

English 21002

2 April 2020

Gaming Addiction and Its Harmful Health Effects

The Problem

The aim of this research proposal is to research and discuss the adverse effects that addiction of video games have on adolescents in many aspects including their behavior and common life. Video games are commonly looked down upon because of the negative effects that it has on its consumers based on various studies. Because of this, parents are often opposed to their child playing video games. In order to investigate this topic, research will be organized through interviews with gamers dwelling in field sites such as internet cafes and online sources. Therefore, the main objective of this research proposal is to provide insight on the effects of video games on the behavior of young children as well as offer research supporting the negative perspectives on gaming excessively, and to ultimately dissuade teens from unrestrictive playtime of video games and to hopefully find an effective solution.

Background

With the gaming industry growing ever so rapidly due to technological advancements making gaming more pleasurable and accessible in many platforms ranging from mobile devices to computers, it is a given that its popularity would increase among many young consumers. Of course video games are commonly seen as a source of entertainment, and that one should not fret and to simply enjoy it. In fact, there is research showing the health benefits of video games in a plethora of areas. One case of this is the development of cognitive abilities. For instance, a study done by an Institute for Human Development in Germany revealed that “playing video games directly affects and impacts regions of the brain responsible for memory, spatial orientation, information organizations, and fine motor skills”. However, if there are so many benefits to playing video games, this raises the question of why are parents so opposed to video games. The answer is simple: it becomes an issue when their children are playing video games excessively to the point where it affects their lives. While researching the negative effects of video games on adolescents, it becomes evident that when an unhealthy amount of playtime is invested, addiction occurs as a repercussion. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a person with a gaming disorder shows unique behaviors “characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.” When someone is addicted to video games, one may skip out on a meal, disregard sleep, and ignore their daily routine in order to satisfy their urge to play. As a result, the person does not learn to take responsibility and care for him or herself. Furthermore, social isolation is a common result of gaming addiction. Of course, there are negative impacts of this as well. According to a video game addiction blog, “Addicted gamers spend so much time playing that their personal relationships get neglected and sometimes disappear altogether”. Socializing is an important part of growing up and developing a person’s identity because the people who you talk to and interact with sculpt who you are. Gaming addiction inherently robs a person of their personality and identity which leads to mental disorders. 

Review/Objectives

Taking into account the aforementioned research, basic inquiries such as “What are the adverse effects of excessive gaming?” or “How does video game addiction impact an adolescent’s health” are answered. Because numerous research on the topic of video game addiction already exists, the preliminary research serves to showcase the surface of the issue. As such, it will allow me to probe deeper and to come up with questions that tackle the issue with the subsequent interviews: Why do you play video games? How do you feel when playing video games? Are you aware of the harmful effects that video game addiction has on your health? Do you come across any issues in your daily life due to gaming addiction? By addressing these questions, I will be provided information on the root of the problems and hopefully be able to come up with an effective solution. In addition, by picking questions that explore the thought process of individuals, I hope to reach an understanding on the source of the problem.

By raising awareness of the issue, the intention of this proposal is to educate individuals to help them look at the bigger picture of how their life is affected by gaming addiction. 

Methods

This research is focused on qualitative analysis gained through the observation of behaviors and interviews with individuals that suffer from video game addiction. By visiting an internet cafe, where dozens of gamers gather, I will be able to observe and conduct interviews. In an environment like this, there will likely be sufficient material for my research and I will be able to gather information on multiple inputs and perspectives from individuals which I believe is important when conducting a research project. After gathering enough information, I hope to reach a consensus on the essence of the subject. Of course, if I do not find the information that I am looking for at a particular internet cafe, there are plenty more in different locations which will allow me to diversify my research on various individuals. 

Conclusion

This research is designed with the purpose of educating and if possible, find a solution to the matter by probing the thought process of people who suffer from gaming addiction via questions. For this reason, the accumulation of information on the viewpoints of individuals on their issue will hopefully be useful to a certain degree.