Online games have come under the scanner for the allegations of spiking aggression and violence among young players. They have also earned a bad reputation for engendering gaming disorder. However studies have not come up with any conclusive relationship between the two. According to them people already having mental health problems stand vulnerable to it. Others manage to evade it.  

Thanks to the advancement of technology online games are seeing their best. They have managed to win the hearts of people from age groups across the globe. Serving the best around they have also added to their dimensions. Therefore one can find a plethora of themes bubbling in the domain. There is a lot for people from different walks of life. However they also support many gloomy facets under their names. Gaming disorder is one of the notes of concern in the world of online gaming. 

Online gamers are facing the heat of accusations. People are coming up to present them as the main culprit causing behavioral disorders among young players. For instance a Victorian coroner emphasized their role in mood disorders. This disorder also led to the death of a boy named Oliver Cronin.

An investigation by Coroner Paresa Spanos revealed “In the 12 months preceding his death Oliver appears to have become obsessed or addicted to video gaming. He became irrational and aggressive at times. His parents tried to restrict his access to the gaming devices in an attempt to temper this behaviour but this led to an escalation in Oliver’s behaviour escalating to verbal and physical abuse against his parents and extreme temper tantrums.”

Adding to that it said “In the weeks preceding his death Oliver was also involved in physical altercations with other students which resulted in two short suspensions from school.” Therefore the concerns seem to be genuine.

However the definition of gaming disorder (WHO) finds its basis in a person’s attitude towards gaming and not in the time spent gaming. In other words it evolves only when it starts to intervene in a person’s healthy daily functioning.

For instance more than 2 billion people play online games. However less than 1% of them suffer from a gaming disorder. The debate has always been about the ill effects of online games. No doubt the studies have found a certain degree of correlation. However that does not stand conclusive.

According to the findings of the research gamers already suffering from mental disorders stand on the list of vulnerabilities. They may become more sensitive to the violence in the games. People with existing depression are more likely to fall into the trap of disorder.

On the other hand healthy people do not catch up with the disorder. However this is not to rule out the circumstances that may pull them into the trap. For instance one may turn to online gaming for venting out one’s anger. Not just that the victims of the self-blame may also contribute to that to a great extent.

Therefore the issue of disorders remains on the board in case people use it as a way to escape the agonies of life. Apart from that researchers also base the results of the study on young men. These men in their adolescence may not be stable in their emotions and thoughts.

On and all one can say there is no study warranting that online games engender gaming disorder. A healthy lifestyle with online gaming may help to pare down the chances of gaming disorder to a great extent. It depends on one’s take.