Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed to the issue of gaming addiction, stating, “After the pandemic, this should gradually return to normal, but it is not. It has now entered the literature as a type of addiction.”
Tarhan noted that children who do not spend time with their parents are more prone to addiction, and stated that loose discipline in the family is a cause of gaming addiction. Tarhan also used the expressions: “Currently, addicts are referred to as having ‘reward deficiency syndrome.’ The brain is not satisfied with reward in these individuals.”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluated the issue of gaming addiction.
Tarhan noted that the popularity of digital game addiction has significantly increased, especially after the pandemic period, stating, “Because people became withdrawn. They stayed alone at home. They turned to games extensively as a form of entertainment and a kind of interest. Research conducted worldwide shows approximately a 50 percent increase in addiction diagnoses during the pandemic.”
Gaming Addiction Entered the Literature as a Type of Addiction
Tarhan stated that it is not just an increase in usage, but an increase in usage significant enough to boost addiction diagnoses, and continued:
“After the pandemic, this should gradually return to normal, but it is not. It has now entered the literature as a type of addiction. It appears more frequently in children, especially adolescents. They turn to these games because it's easier to find enjoyment in them than in other activities. The reason for the increase in gaming addiction is its easy accessibility and convenience. Instead of going out to play ball, which requires energy, they play games that don't, especially from the comfortable environment of home. Most of these games are not single-player, but rather online, group-style, strategy-type games.”
There is a 66 Percent Increase Among Children Aged 6-15
Tarhan noted that according to statistics from TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute), there is a 66 percent increase among children aged 6-15, stating, “This is an alarm that has entered TÜİK’s literature compared to previous years and is known through statistics. Do we see this in our own clinical experience? We see it a lot… Especially when child psychiatrist cases come in, we refer to it as screen exposure. Screen exposure has now become a routine matter we look for and ask about. We ask, ‘How much time does the child spend on screen?’”
A 3-Year-Old Child with Excessive Screen Exposure Has Not Learned Life Skills
Prof. Dr. Tarhan gave the following example regarding screen exposure:
“We have a 3-year-old child whom two child neurology specialists diagnosed as ‘autistic.’ Then we conducted several tests. The child came with delayed speech. At 3 years old, they should be forming sentences but cannot. There is a theory of mind test for autism. Can the child develop a theory of mind? Can they imagine? We did all of that. We took autism screening scales and applied them. We conducted tests that confirmed the definition of autism through several channels multiple times. The child is not autistic at all. The only issue is a lack of mental stimulation. The child has a 1-year-old sibling; the mother is busy with the sibling, and the tablet was given to the child. Screen exposure is excessive. At this age, the child has not learned to be educated through words or toilet training. The child also eats and leaves whenever they want. There is loose, inconsistent discipline at home. The child has not learned about life. As a result, they are thought to be autistic. We examined thoroughly and looked at brain functions and found that they definitely do not meet the criteria for autism. Screen time will be banned for this child. The child will engage in play all day, and a disciplined life will be taught.”
Parenthood Is Not Just About Feeding and Watering a Child
“One year was very critical. If they pass the age of four, those neural pathways in the brain close. There are pathways that use two-thirds of the brain related to giving meaning with words and expressing words. If it's left until after the age of four, those pathways close, and learning becomes very difficult. This child was mistakenly diagnosed with autism. All day, they are on the computer, watching clips, playing games. It’s a very entertaining environment. The child enjoys it; you can’t get angry at this child. Parenthood is not just about feeding and watering a child… It is about teaching the child about life.”
Tarhan stated that there is no addiction in children who use their time in a planned manner, saying, “Children who spend their day unplanned, for instance, three hours one day and one hour another day, do not develop addiction.”
Tarhan noted that children have become playthings of the digital industry, saying, “Currently, huge investments have been made in computer games within the digital industry. Because there is a lot of income, it has become a tremendous industry. In fact, this metaverse is a gaming sector that doesn’t collapse. There are games played by 350 million people simultaneously worldwide.”
Real War Should Be Shown as an Example
Tarhan also stated that digital games’ inclination towards violence attracts children, saying, “The violent environment in the virtual world, where people kill others with weapons, appeals to them. Since abstract thinking and skills are not developed, children see it as entertainment, but for example, children should be shown the events in Gaza as an example, saying, ‘Look, you’re playing this, but the reality is like this, look, that child was left without a mother, that one without a father.’”
Tarhan stated that a person should allocate twenty percent of their daily time to entertainment, saying, “Digital games, along with other entertainment like friends and chat, all account for twenty percent. When it's more than that, pleasure-focused human types emerge, meaning it creates a model of people who are unproductive, lazy, and only think of their own interests.”
Children Who Don’t Spend Time With Their Parents Become More Addicted…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that research shows gaming consoles are preferred in wealthy families, while middle and lower-income families more often choose smartphones, adding, “What we observe in gaming addicts is that it’s more prevalent in children who don't spend time with their parents. In fact, such gaming-addicted children don’t even leave their rooms.”
There Are Cases of People Dying from Heart Attacks After Playing Games for 27 Hours
Tarhan reminded that there have been cases in Korea where people died from heart attacks after playing games for 27 hours, stating, “Gaming addiction truly disrupts the reward-punishment system in the brain. We shouldn’t dismiss it by saying, ‘It’s just a game.’ Many mothers also don’t take it seriously, thinking, ‘Oh, they’re just playing games in front of me at home, what could happen?’ When not taken seriously, after a while, the child stops deriving pleasure from other things. Currently, addicts are already referred to as having ‘Reward Deficiency Syndrome.’ The brain in these individuals is not satisfied with reward.”
Gaming Addiction Has a Treatment!
Tarhan noted that this addiction also has a treatment, saying, “We should not think that gaming addiction has no cure. Gaming addictions are very easily treated. We deprive them of games... We have children whom we admit who are gaming addicts. They are very good children. There is parental love in the family, a dual love, but there is loose discipline. They are very intelligent children; they create incredible strategy games. In those games, they give rewards. Some even give monetary rewards. This is very engaging. Because it's so engaging, children isolate themselves.”
Loose Discipline in the Family is a Cause of Gaming Addiction!
Tarhan explained that when there is loose discipline stemming from an excess of parental love, the child becomes pleasure-seeking and imaginative, and this is the most common cause of gaming addiction today, stating, “The child becomes unhappy and uneasy within the family. From this unhappiness and uneasiness, they immerse themselves in gaming addiction to try and find comfort. If the home environment is not safe, if there is constant marital discord, if there is uneasiness, this also leads to gaming addiction. I know of such a gaming addiction case where the child does not go to school, and they cannot send him to school. They went and saw that the parents had given up leadership to the child… The mother and father are in a passive state. When the child becomes the leader, of course, this child will not go to school.”