By: Mackenzie O'Connell
When you think of a game, do you think of a board game? A sporting event? Something made up in a child’s mind, like “I Spy”? Or, do you think of a video game?
In the past, when the word “game” was mentioned people, of all ages, would think of any of the above, EXCEPT video games. Today, that is hardly the case. Ask someone, especially kids and young adults, “What is your favorite game?” and the answer will mostly likely be something like Fortnite, Call of Duty, Pokemon, Just Dance, 2K18 Basketball or Madden Football. This change in the way we think of the word “game” is largely due to the influx of technology that in the last 10-15 years has slowly begun to consume our lives. Devices like smartphones, computers and tablets, were initially made to reduce the time necessary to write a paper, or take away the difficulty of having to find a payphone in a big city, or lessen the load of a backpack due to the lightweight nature of a tablet. However, today with the creation of apps and the increase in quality of digital video/animation techniques, the devices that were meant to ease our work and schooling are used mainly for gaming and social media.
The World Health Organization, or WHO, has recently added a new disorder to its classification of international diseases, called Gaming Disorder. This new disorder addition is due to the rise in the number of individuals who play these games so frequently that they have essentially become obsessed with video gaming. The disorder can affect all ages, but most specifically, kids and young adults who spend hours upon hours on a gaming console like an Xbox or PS4, a computer, iPad, and/or phone. To be diagnosed with this disorder, “an individual’s gaming [must] “take[s] precedence over other life interests and daily activities,” and in most cases, for a period of 12 months or more, resulting in “significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational, or other important areas of functioning” says Ian Bogost, of The Atlantic Magazine, and the World Health Organization.
Reading off the symptoms for Gaming Disorder, one would notice that some of the symptoms are extremely similar and some are exactly the same as those typically seen in other commonly diagnosed addictions and disorders such as anxiety, depression, anorexia, and alcoholism. These types of illnesses are being seen more and more frequently in elementary through college-aged individuals. Our current technology driven lifestyles are partly to blame for the upward trend that is happening in the number of kids being diagnosed with these types of disorders. But, with this lifestyle accompanied by an increase in sedentary behavior, an increase in fast food consumption, and now with technological devices containing ways to distract ourselves and “have fun” through video games, why wouldn’t a kid want to spend hours living in a virtual world while snacking on chips and chatting with friends? The answer is simple...they have instead been exposed, have participated, or have learned other ways to have fun that require them to step away from a screen.
It is unrealistic to completely remove technology from our youth’s lives. Unlike past generations who slowly got to see technology take over our world, it’s the norm for today’s kids to be surrounded by screens and devices. However, if we can show children, from a young age, the joy that comes from being outdoors, playing a board game, and/or going to an event, we can hopefully reduce the number of kids spending their days sitting inside and staring at the T.V. I can honestly say my fondest moments as a child were those that I spent doing things outside of the house, like bike racing outside with my siblings, playing soccer with the neighbor kids in our backyards, playing Monopoly with my family on the patio, and hiking the trails along Lake Michigan in Wisconsin with my cousins, to name a few. No video game or virtual reality compares to the here and now. The fun you have when you are exploring the world or chatting and spending time with those you are closest to is what brings true happiness.
At CycleHealth we truly enjoy helping kids find their love for adventure and taking on challenges. We put on the yearly events the Resilinator, the Kidarod, the Century Club Tour, and the BreakAway Kids Tri to give kids the chance to move their legs, work their brains, and have fun! Our events allow kids to challenge themselves both physically and mentally with the support of their families and friends. I am halfway through my summer internship here at CycleHealth, working with Executive Director, Betsy Grams and Chief Motivator, Tony Schiller. While I have learned a great deal about the running of a growing and evolving company and managing different tasks, I have also been learned and seen from my bosses just how important exercise, spending time outdoors, and taking risks are to both the health of your body and mind. The excitement that radiates from Betsy and Tony when they are asked about their careers as triathletes, marathon runners and ultra runners is invigorating. My goal in my time here at CycleHealth is to continue to work to put out content to inspire kids and their families to get outside and be adventurous, just like Betsy and Tony have been doing for years. Video games may be fun for a while, but I promise you dancing with your Grandpa around the kitchen after dinner is way more fun than playing Just Dance on the Wii and having a Nerf Gun war with your best buds in the backyard is going to make you laugh and sweat way more than Fortnite on Xbox ever will.
Let’s help the younger generation change their perspectives, so when they hear the word “game” they think of basketball in the driveway and Scrabble games at the dining table. Creating a culture of movers and do-er’s is what is really going to help change the course of the Gaming Disorder epidemic.
Check Out the World Health Organization’s Page and EveryDay Health’s Article, linked below, for more information on Gaming Disorder:
WHO: http://www.who.int/features/qa/gaming-disorder/en/
Everyday Health: https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/symptoms/what-gaming-disorder/