Can playing e-games have the potential to be destructive?
E-gaming has spiked during the pandemic as we were forced to stay inside of our homes and interact with our friends in the digital space. We resorted to numerous e-games to connect with each other, hang out, and do fun activities together.
And because of our reliance on them to form connections with others, it also took a toll on us and left us staring at our screens all day forcing us to get addicted to the games. It even reaches a point when we forget about our real lives and lose control over them.
In this manner, it is easy to put the blame on the games that we played and say that their interface is the root cause of this addiction. But according to Psychology professor, James Dominic Flores, who's a long-time e-gamer himself, it is not the tool that is to be blamed.
He explains, “The reason why parents are worried is because iniisip nila masama na agad ito. But like dependents or addiction, whichever you want to call it, it's not particularly the tool, the gaming, the studying, or whatever. It's about your lack of control and how it incapacitates your life. If you're able to control it and if you can show that there is no way or hindi siya talaga nakakahamak sa quality of life mo then wala po tayong problema dun.”
How you control yourself around the games you're playing is vital so that e-gaming can remain healthy. Professor James shares, “We need to understand na ang normal ng isa ay hindi kapareho ng normal ng iba. We have to understand that it's a fact of life and it's a psychological fact. Pag-aralan natin sa isang bigger picture para makita natin ano ba talaga 'yung tama. Definitely, kung naglalaro ka too much to the point na iniwan ka na, then definitely there's a problem in the relational aspect. You have put too much on your games pero you have put less effort and attention to a facet of your life.”
Having been aware that it is you who has control over your addiction to the games, Professor James recommends, “I look at it in a long-term perspective. I look at it in a span of like two weeks, 1 month. Am I doing my priorities correctly? Am I connected with other people? Naiintindihan ba nila kung ano ang ginagawa ko sa side ko na normal lang ito? Because I used video games not only as an outlet to compete but as an outlet to relax.”
In conclusion, playing e-games and interacting with old and new people in your lives are not a bad thing at all. It is a nice attempt to form connections, reach more people, and expand your horizons. It only becomes destructive the moment you allow it to take control of you.
Check out the full video below to find out more about this discussion.
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