Preventing the consequences of 'gaming addiction'

Heartbreaking stories

In early June 2024, Ha Dong District Police (Hanoi City) detained suspect Nguyen Huy Hoang (born in 1997), from Nam Dan District (Nghe An Province) to expand the investigation of the case of "property theft". Initially, Hoang confessed that because he was "addicted" to games and had no money to spend, he had the idea of ​​stealing property.

Taking advantage of the homeowner's carelessness, Hoang took 8 phones and 3 laptops and was arrested while selling them.

Previously, in May 2024, Vinh City Police also successfully broke up a case, arrested 14 subjects specializing in property theft, seized 10 motorbikes and more than 200 million VND in cash. All subjects were between the ages of 14 and 20 years old and lived in Vinh City, Hung Nguyen, and Con Cuong. Through social networks, the subjects contacted each other to steal property. Initially, the subjects confessed that because they played games but had no money, they invited each other to commit theft to get money to deposit into game accounts.

Not stopping there, many heartbreaking cases related to game addiction still haunt many people.

For example, in early March 2023, the People's Court of Nghe An province sentenced defendant Lang Kim The Vinh (residing in Que Phong) to 18 years in prison for the crime of "Murder". It is worth mentioning that at the time of the incident, the defendant was only 17 years old, an 11th grade student. Vinh was considered an intelligent and studious student. The victim was NA - a female classmate who lived in the same locality as Vinh.

During the investigation, Vinh was asked to undergo a psychiatric examination. The results showed that before, during, and after committing the crime and at the time of the examination, Vinh suffered from paranoid disorder, which limited his ability to perceive and control his behavior. It is known that during the Covid-19 period, Vinh was isolated at home for a long time, so he became "friends" with electronics, becoming addicted to games. The family discovered that Vinh had many unusual symptoms, but before they could go to the doctor, the heartbreaking incident happened.

Similar is the shocking case that happened 4 years ago behind the production forest in Lang Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district.

In mid-June 2020, Dao Ngoc Hoang (born in 2003), residing in Quynh Luu district, invited V.D (5 years old), who lived in the same neighborhood, to go out. Here, Hoang had the idea of ​​kidnapping the child for ransom. Hoang tied the child's hands and feet and left the victim in the forest to die.

Through the investigation, investigators said that Hoang was a problem student, showing signs of being addicted to video games. Hoang confessed that he used tape to tie up the victim because he learned it from games and some movies he had watched. For his crime, Hoang paid a heavy price with a 15-year prison sentence when he was only 17 years old.

The heartbreaking stories above are just a few of the many incidents related to online games today.

Many unpredictable consequences

In fact, during the summer, students are on vacation, parents are busy working, and there is a lack of supervision, so children tend to use electronic devices more, specifically become addicted.online gamePlaying games at a moderate level can bring many benefits such as entertainment, relaxation... However, when playing games excessively, leading to game addiction, it will cause many serious consequences, especially for school-age children.

Visiting an online game shop in Ben Thuy ward (Vinh city) at noon, although the weather is hot, the shop is crowded with people playing, almost filling up all the machines. It is known that during the summer, students are on vacation, so the number of customers coming to book machines is always crowded. During peak hours from 11 am to 9 pm, there are often not enough machines to serve the "gods". For only 8 - 10 thousand VND, each player will have a machine to use for an hour with a stable internet connection and hundreds of different games. Therefore, it attracts most customers aged 11 - 16 years old.

It is known that the trend of playing esports or electronic sports has been attracting the attention of millions of people by online tournaments or online television for audiences. Popular games include: League of Legends, Dota 2, counter-strike, ... Thereby, forcing players to compete in online video games in the form of professional sports. Electronic games are designed with many levels, eye-catching images that make players always eager to overcome and can sit for hours without getting bored.

According to Dr. Phan Ba ​​Thu - Head of the Geriatrics and Pediatrics Department (Nghe An Mental Hospital), recently, the department has received and treated many adolescents with mental disorders due to game addiction. The age of the hospitalized children is between 14 and 24 years old.

“Most of the children who come here are in severe stages, with quite clear symptoms such as behavioral disorders (screaming, self-destruction...), paranoia, hallucinations... even suicidal thoughts or violent tendencies towards others,” Dr. Thu shared.

It is known that in adolescence, due to the unstable and vulnerable structure of the cerebral cortex, many mental disorders are caused when they indulge in and abuse online games, especially violent games. The most recognizable sign of a person with a mental disorder is insomnia, very little sleep because most of the time is spent immersed in games. In addition, children will have less interest and concern for the life around them and have many activities that are not suitable for real life.

Through that, this doctor also shared that many families find it difficult to accept that their children have mental illnesses, so they are hesitant and hide it, not taking their children to see a doctor or get timely treatment, leading to serious effects on the health and mind of the children, causing serious consequences later on.

In fact, the number of adolescents hospitalized for mental disorders related to video games tends to increase in the summer, especially in cases where there is a lack of parental supervision. Not only that, the development and recognition of electronic sports games has made adolescents and many parents relax their vigilance, thus increasing the situation of "addiction" to games.

Therefore, Dr. Phan Ba ​​Thu advises families to develop a regular living plan for their children, limiting their exposure to electronic devices. Prioritize physical activities or participate in age-appropriate life skills courses. Not only that, parents need more time to talk and confide in order to better understand their children's psychology and desires. In addition, when children show signs of mental disorders due to game addiction, parents should take their children to specialized medical facilities for timely examination and treatment, avoiding unpredictable consequences.