IT was only supposed to last a couple of hours at most but before they knew it, they had spent more time in the virtual world than in real life.
This is not surprising considering the feel-good substance – dopamine – that is released in their brains whenever the youth indulge in mobile games and other leisure activities online.
It is practically a siren call with Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Faculty of Arts and Social Science Department of Psychology and Counselling assistant professor (psychology) Dr Grace T’ng Soo Ting saying over the last decade, the advancement of technology has stimulated a sophisticated gaming environment or “virtual world” that is increasingly appealing, complex and immersive.
T’ng, who is conducting research on gaming addiction, said online video gaming is one of the most popular leisure activities globally.
“The previously famous computer games have now shifted to mobile devices, given the rapid development of mobile technology and its convenient accessibility,” she told StarEdu.
She said certain individuals are more prone to developing device addiction. Besides depression, these people could have “social phobia”.
“Socially phobic gamers experience greater detachment from the real world when the benefits and pleasant experiences of playing multiplayer online battle arena (Moba) games are reinforced continuously,” she said.
“Achievement motivation from a collectivist culture emphasises the connection with group members. Individual contributions are always valued as if they are beneficial to group members or society.
“Expectedly, gamers are likely motivated by ‘levelling up’ – which always serves as the team’s goal, striving for more remarkable performance,” she added.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Medical Centre Psychiatry Department Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit head Dr Fairuz Nazri Abd Rahman said electronic games are specifically designed to get players to play them for as long and as often as possible due to the immediate sound, visual and reward cues prompting dopamine release in our brains.
Dopamine, she said, is one of the neurotransmitters in the brain which rewards us with pleasurable feelings whenever we put effort into something. “The more we play the electronic games, the more we are conditioned to the dopamine release each time we win at something,” she said.
Dr Fairuz Nazri, who is also a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, said students are more vulnerable because their minds have not yet fully matured and they are more susceptible to any influences they are exposed to.
“Male students in particular are more vulnerable but not exclusively to gaming addiction compared to females because of brain differences between the sexes,” she said, adding that females are more vulnerable to getting hooked on social media.
She also said there is a rise in device addiction when there is unsupervised exposure to devices.
This is especially when parents themselves are not information technology literate such as those living in the rural areas and who are part of the B40 group.
“They don’t know how to control the gaming activities,” she said, adding open communication is the key to protecting children from developing overdependence on their devices.
“It is good to have a discussion with them as early as possible about the pros and cons of gaming as they might want to connect with their friends and have some leisure time via games.
“However, they need to balance the gaming activities with other activities such as chores, homework and physical activities,” she said.
She also suggested implementing a time limit on how long they can play every day and at what times “because some want to play until the early hours of the morning”.
She added that parents or guardians need to discuss with their children what to do when they see negative elements such as porn advertisements, and violent or horror games.
While these measures may be well and good, she said parents and guardians need to develop internal control in their children.
“We as adults and parents work hard at controlling our children by limiting their time and exposure to electronic games,” she said, adding that this is a form of external control.
“However, when we are not around to control our children, they may not be able to control themselves.
“It is better to instil internal control in children by educating them, letting them practise self-control and giving them trials to see how they do with continuous feedback and discussion.
“This is so that when we are not around, the children know how to handle themselves when they are exposed to the games,” she said.
Echoing Dr Fairuz Nazri’s sentiments, clinical psychologist and Taylor’s University senior lecturer Sam Jeng Mun said a better way of managing the addiction problem would be having a family discussion to understand the root cause of them indulging in gaming.
She said video games can act as coping mechanisms for stress.
“The games are designed in a way that is particularly rewarding, which is the direct opposite of the stressful emotions.
“Hence, it is natural for students to turn to devices as a means of coping and relaxation,” she said.
However, she added, children and teenagers do not understand that constantly turning to video games for stress relief can create a dependency on or addiction to the device.
Sam, who has more than 10 years of experience in the field, said youngsters nowadays face a lot of stressful situations and expectations.
“It would be wise for them to develop some healthy coping mechanisms,” she said, adding that these could be exercising, journaling, socialising in real life, and any other activities that can help them to feel relaxed.
Sam, a member of the Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology and the Malaysian Association of the Study of Pain, also warned that confiscating devices can produce adverse effects to the individual such that it creates anger, dissatisfaction and sadness towards the parents.
“The reason lies within youngsters having their own mindsets and thinking styles that parents are encouraged to understand before judging and confiscating without listening to them,” she said.
THE VIEWS
Gaming’s pull factor“
I really enjoy gaming. I have an adrenaline rush every time I sit down in my chair and start a game. Normally, I start playing after dinner because that’s when my friends from overseas can join the game. I’ll be logged on until dawn, then get dressed before going to school, and only sleep after school is over. There have been times that I fell asleep in class but I’ve seen others fall asleep, as well, so I don’t think it’s an issue. Some teachers just leave us alone. My marks have dropped but not so drastically. I’ve not failed any subjects and my parents don’t seem to mind this. I got into gaming about two years ago as I was quite bored at home. My parents are divorced and they have left me to do my own things. I’m not pressured to do chores.”
Christopher, 16, Kuala Lumpur
“I first started playing multiplayer online battle arena (Moba) games around May 2020 when my friends and I found this was the best way to have fun together in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools were closed and we could not see each other. Besides the chance to play with my friends, it helped fill my time since there were barely any online lessons going on when the government cancelled the Form Three Assessment (PT3) that year. Usually, I would spend about six hours a day playing games. My mother has asked me to cut down on the time I spend playing as she thinks I am not studying at all anymore. There was an argument about it because I think she is wrong. There is no need to study so hard for school since I want to become a YouTuber when I’m older.”
Anif, 17, Negri Sembilan
"I would spend over eight hours a day playing games in my room, locking my door so my parents cannot disturb me. Most times, I would be playing throughout the night and sleeping during the day. Gaming is not only about playing as there is a small community who supports and listens to me. Some of the friends I made online are in similar family situations as me. Their parents are also very busy working and would only be around long enough to give us instructions without taking the time to listen or understand what we need. I can really connect with them.”
Daniel, 14, Kuala Lumpur
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