Online games effect on mental health during lockdown

Hyderabad: With the lockdown that was started in March, the addiction towards the online games has seen an rise during this pandemic scare.

During the current scenario, looks like left with no other option the elderly and the middle aged have also indulged themselves on their screens.

Psychologists say that the use of mobile phones and other gadgets have increased to more than 30% than those before the lockdown .

Mobiles and the use of other electronic gadgets have increased and not for good reasons either. Dr Purnima Nagaraja "This is not a new phenomenon as we have been complaining about it several times.

Now with COVID-19 and lockdown, people are being more hours with their phones. People who work for home actually need their phones to get several information and links.

Now since they have nothing to do, they will have to work on their screens for a long hour.This is not only the youngsters, but also the elderly people working people. The violent games have disastrous effects."

There are you who are so engrossed in games that they have been failing consecutively and now due to the online classes are not helping them either.

"They are so engrossed in games that there are several cases where they have fallen in love with the characters and projecting themselves and later getting depressed. They are romantically getting connected with them.

There are games where you get an energy point of selling drugs and stuffs which can effect you to such an extent that you want to get it in the real life and don't think about the consequences," adds Purnima.

Dr Suchitra, a freelance psychologist, Begumpet said, "With excessive screen time the mind is concentrated in only one thing. There is no physical activity. Any Interruptions while they play can irritate them.

Many young children who are 11 or 12 year old attack on their parents when the mobile phones are taken away. The children are finding ways to justify themselves as the elders are all engrossed on phones. Withdrawal becomes difficult for them and also leads to sleep disorders and eating disorders."

The good side here is for people who have dimensions, memory loss or any kind of cognitive issues to increase their level of thinking. Some games are good for autistic children.

When these games are used in a good manner when augmented and virtual reality comes in.