India’s online gaming boom brings increasing dangers for users

Experts warn of drug addiction, anxiety and cybercrime

While the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdowns that followed have given the online gaming industry a boost, various experts and studies point to its detrimental effects on the mind and body of individuals.

Driven by affordable data, accessibility to smartphones, and increasing time available due to Covid-19 lockdowns, India’s online gambling industry has experienced a major boom at a time when the pandemic has had a catastrophic impact on the majority of sectors.

According to a report released by the consultancy firm KPMG in India, the overall India online casual gaming sub-segment, which reached INR 60 billion in 2021, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate ( CAGR) of 29 pc over 2021-2025 to reach a size of INR 169 billion. The report also says the time spent on gaming apps increased by 21pc during the initial nationwide lockdown, with total customer base surpassing 300 million users.

While the boom may be good for the gaming industry, users end up paying a high price as heavy gaming can lead to multiple mental and physical issues and can lead to addiction as well.

“The habit of gambling flourished during the pandemic situation and the dependence of young people on recreational gambling increased. The lifestyle, the routine, the priorities have changed. For the younger population, it has been difficult to resist the temptation to socialize through online gambling, ”said Ritansha Grover, a Delhi-based psychologist. India Media Group.

Hobby or addiction

While these games have become a staple for hobbies and entertainment during the pandemic, the potential for overuse has also been introduced, especially among the younger population.

“Screen time has increased dramatically during pandemic-induced lockdowns. Since we can’t get anywhere, so gaming seems like one of the few things to do. I play about 2 hours a day now. It used to be around 4 to 5 hours, but now I also have some lessons, ”said Tanish Khurana, a class 10 student from Chandigarh. India Media Group.

As many as 87% of gamers believe that online games affect their physical and mental well-being, while 76% believe that addiction to action games has changed their behavior, increasing levels of depression and anxiety, according to India Digital Well-Being Report by NortonLifeLock, a consumer cybersecurity brand.

“Online gambling can become addictive if it is not supervised. A person who gets carried away by self-gratifying urges to gamble can put themselves at risk of addiction, ”says Grover.

Physical and mental impact

While online games have some cognitive benefits for gaming, such as better attention control and spatial reasoning, they more often than not end up affecting an individual’s physical and mental well-being.

About 76% of people believe that addiction to action games leads to behavior change and can increase levels of depression and anxiety, according to the India Digital Wellness Report.

“Online gambling often leads people to develop a passive lifestyle. Which in turn leads to self-neglect, isolation, lack of interaction, emotional and social disconnection. When these areas are not used, it creates imbalance and damages mental health. Thought process and emotional regulation are disrupted. This therefore leads to difficulties of adaptation and adaptation, ”explains Grover.

Not only is gambling likely to be dangerous to an individual’s mental health, it can also lead to physical disorders such as poor eyesight and repetitive stress injuries, or overuse injuries. These injuries come from activities that involve repeated use of muscles and tendons, to the point that pain and inflammation develop. If these injuries progress, numbness and weakness may develop and permanent injury may result. Injuries from overuse of hands and arms are common among players.

“Spending so much time on screen doing any sort of work or leisure activity is bound to have an effect. I have poor eyesight in my right eye and frequent headaches,” says Khurana. .

Lack of confidentiality and data breaches

Excessive online gaming is not only harmful to an individual’s well-being, but also brings a host of challenges and risks, including the exposure of children to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, drug addiction, gambling and toxic peers.

According to the Digital Wellbeing India Report, 70% of respondents believe that children who hook up with strangers while playing online games can lead to cyberbullying, harassment and violence.

“People might be drawn to online games for entertainment, but the data shows it’s not all about fun and games. The virtual playground comes with risks like identity theft, cyberbullying, phishing and credit card theft, to name a few, ”said Ritesh Chopra, director of NortonLifeLock, in a press release.

The gaming industry suffered 12 billion cyberattacks between November 2017 and March 2019, according to a report from Akamai Technologies, a global content delivery network, cybersecurity and cloud services company, providing web security services and Internet.

As with any other activity, online gambling also has potential advantages and disadvantages, which makes moderation and finding a balance essential.