DNA Exclusive: How online gaming addiction is ruining India’s youth

New Delhi: Online gaming is popular among Indian youth, however, its ill effects on their mental and physical health are not far behind. In a recent incident, a 16-year-old boy killed his cousin in Rajasthan’s Nagaur so that he could repay a loan by playing an online game.

Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Choudhary on Friday (December 17) analyzed how Indian youth are falling prey to online gaming.

About 41 percent of India’s population i.e. about 55 crore people are below 20 years of age, which means that online gaming Addiction will ruin an entire generation. While children from all over the world will become doctors, scientists, engineers, the children of our country will continue to play online games.

In the Rajasthan incident, Kishor had borrowed lakhs of rupees to buy online game tokens and to repay this money, he kidnapped his 12-year-old cousin and demanded ransom from his family. At this time such incidents are coming to the fore all over the country, where children are committing theft and crime in their own homes to play online games.

Earlier, in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, a 19-year-old boy had fabricated a false story of his kidnapping due to addiction to online gaming. The boy was addicted to playing PUBG and had even sold his bike. As her family refused to give her the money she needed to reach the next level in the sport, she took a picture of herself with her arms and legs tied and sent it to her parents. He wrote that he has been kidnapped and if they do not deliver four lakh rupees to the designated place, he will be killed. When the police started investigation, it turned out that it was a case of fake kidnapping, which was planned by the boy as he needed more money.

In a survey conducted in India last year, 65 per cent of children under the age of 20 said that they are ready to give up eating and sleeping to play online games. Many also admitted that they are ready to steal their parents’ money to play online games.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the addiction to online gaming apps has increased significantly among children across the country, adversely affecting physical and mental health.

How online gaming addiction is affecting youth:

1. Obesity among children is increasing due to the addiction of online gaming. According to a report, the weight of children in India has increased by 4-5 kg ​​after the outbreak of COVID-19. The reason for the weight gain is that there is no need to go anywhere for online gaming and can play these games sitting in one place all day.

2. Children’s eyes are already becoming weak due to excessive online game play.

3. Children’s sleep patterns have deteriorated and they are now getting less sleep due to the addiction of online gaming.

4. Most of the time, children feel less hungry by playing online games.

5. Children playing online games do not engage in other activities. They stop talking to their parents, isolate themselves and even ignore their studies.

6. Just like in every game there are wins and losses, so it is the same in online games. Because money is invested, children tend to get irritated when they lose and children can fall into depression from a young age.

7. Children are attracted to violence due to excessive violence in online games.

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