• Students forced to continue their studies online
• Most games offer rewards after reaching certain stages
• Parents should allow children to use mobile phones only for online education

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama                                 

 Following online education, there is an increase in addiction to mobile games and most children and young adults are suffering from ‘gaming disorder’, consultant psychiatrist at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital Dr. Rumi Ruben said.

He told the Daily Mirror that the gaming disorder does not only attract kids but gamers of all ages such as children, teenagers and also adults. Gaming disorder is real and has now been classified as a disease by the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases. Due to the COVID pandemic situation in the country, school education is limited and students are forced to continue their studies online.

As a result, the children who have never used mobile phones are using them for their educational activities.
“Most teenagers aged from 14 to 24 and children above 8 years old receive treatment for their so-called disorder. He said most of the games are designed to attract users by making them addicted and trapped within. “Most of the games are designed with violent background and drive the players’ minds towards cruel activities such as killing. Most games offer rewards after reaching certain stages.
Therefore, the players used to pass those stages to achieve their goals,” he said. “After using a mobile phone for gaming purposes for many hours, children and youth automatically fall into a disorderly situation. 

They suddenly become angry and their behaviour turns violent. The children assume themselves as gaming characters, treat and mingle with the environment as if the characters portrayed in the games. They dress like those animated images and act like them,” Dr. Ruben said.

If the children or youth suffer from such disorder, it is important to obtain medical advice from a psychiatrist.
Parents should allow their children to use mobile phones sparingly and only for online education and advice the children to stop using the phones and engage them in other entertainment such as group work at home, the doctor added.

• Parents should allow their children to use mobile phones sparingly and only for online education and advice the children to stop using the phones and engage them in other entertainment such as group work at home