Addiction to Dangerous Online Games
Addiction to online game is a sort of obsession to an excessive usage of playing computer games creating an unhealthy trauma. With every progressive approach to Future technology, we are prone to many side effects. In this high-tech world, people prefer to be in their closed circuit with none around except technology. Thereby unlike the older times, people spend the most of the time playing online games rather outdoor ones. Though the games might increase the concentration and aptitude level yet it hampers the social thinking and creates much aloofness from their surroundings. This sort of addiction has terrifically increased recent times. Moreover, the game developers create a variety of games for alluring these people. The due course of time has motivated many psychopaths to develop such games where self-harming is the main concern.
In recent times, there has been an alarming increase in such games. One of the most prominent infamous games is The Blue Whale Challenge which has ended up in many suicide attempts lately. In this article, we would discuss various sorts of online dangerous games; the reason for the addiction; consequences and treatment.
Various Dangerous Online Games
The Blue Whale Challenge
The recent probe on the Blue Whale game has been on highlights. The word Blue whale has been used to symbolize the beached whales (the whales who commit suicide). The game is initially created by an expelled psychology student in Russia, Philipp Burdekin. He aimed to clean the society of people who seemed to be of no value.
This game is created for the participants to face the challenges given by the administrators. The challenges are usually the self-maiming of 50 levels of which the final level is the suicide of the participant. The various stages are the various techniques of harming themselves like the participants need to climb the crane, standing on the top of the bridge or the roof, carving the certain figures on the body parts, listening o bizarre music or watching weird videos sent by the administrator. Of the late, there have been numerous reports of suicides in various parts of the world.
Choking Game
The Choking game or the pass out challenge is another type of dangerous pass time which involves activity which stops the blood flow to the brain and then releases pressure thereby creating euphoria or temporary breathlessness.
This is merely a fainting game where the doctors have stated that the pleasure derived out of this risky game was much more than drug addiction. This disturbing practice can lead to death, epileptic fit, coma or loss of memory. The most frightening part is that the teens have started uploading the instructional videos to spread in a wider extent. This game has been on highlight since 1995 till this date. It was reported in U.S Centres for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) that there was a death record of 82 young teens of the age between 6 to 19 in the years between 1995 to 2007.
Salt and Ice Challenge
This challenge another self-mutilation technique applied by rubbing salt over the bare skin and putting a cube of ice upon it. The combination of ice and the salt reduces the temperature much lower to -18˚C, leaving a scar on the skin. The participants need to bear the burning sensation for a longer duration. This causes a burnt skin or the frostbite.
On July 8th, 2006, the first video on the demonstration was uploaded. When it was shared on eBaum’s World, it gained around 5 million views by 2013. Its popularity moved in steady pace spreading from the United States to European countries like UK, Germany, Poland, France. The recorded age group of 6 to 24years are the victims of this strange challenge.
The Fire Challenge
In this challenge, the teens literally set themselves on fire by applying flammable liquids on the bare upper part of the torso. Thereafter, they upload the recorded video of the entire scenario in the social networking sites. It’s an absolutely dreadful situation. The victims are found facing second-degree burns, even they inhale the fiery air which would damage the lungs as well.
According to one of the survey report, around 50 videos of the self-ablaze videos were uploaded. Out of which around 60% were of the age between 30years to 50 years, rest 40% were under 20years. It is frightening to see the victims are self-inflicting the flame just for a fun without thinking of the outcome.
The Cutting Challenge
It is another type of horrendous challenge where these teens upload the pictures and videos of self-disfigurement or self-mutilation by cuts etc. on the social media. They seem to boast in the social media to show their tolerance of their pain.
The numbers of the victims are increasing every day which depicts the pleasure derived in such heinous work. Drastic steps should be taken to stop such self-harming games.
What motivates the teens to play these games?
The teenagers are the upcoming generation who more involved in the virtual world rather real world. Those who are much into the turmoil of emotional stress they try to express out their hidden emotions by involving into such unethical games. Some feel that their identity is lost so the only means to get their position is by performing such dangerous games. Some of those are loners who are more susceptible to such challenge. We do find that most of them are a sort of attention seekers who want to grab others attention towards them performing such horrible activities.
What steps should be taken to stop them to engage in such dangerous games?
Strict cybersecurity measures should be enforced which could stop such hazardous games. Parents and guardians should have a keen approach towards their children. They should monitor the kids at regular times. They ought to communicate with their children in order to know their fluctuating emotions. According to certain psychologists, excessive computer gaming might result into a grave mental disorder which is categorized under Compulsive Behaviour Similar to Gambling Addiction. Therefore, such addiction requires the systematic intervention of their parents or guardian to understand them.
Good topic to discuss in today’s world . Informative and helpful. Great work!
Very well written..very informative..I am sure it will be very helpful..