Many people in the worldhave addictions to drugs and alcohol.  However, what you may not have known is that another harmful addiction is video game addiction. There are many civilians called excessive gamers, and they have experienced very bad effects of being one.

According to Video Game Statistics (Online Education), the average person spends 18 hours a week playing video games, which is more than two hours a day.  However, an excessive gamer is one who plays at least 30 hours a week.

Video games have not only been linked with bad grades but with mental illnesses (such as depression) and other behavioral/physical problems as well. Because excessive gaming can lead to a variety of problems, we must play a moderate amount of video games and find other, more productive activities to do throughout the day.

In a survey done by CGP (the Critical Gaming Project), 63 percent of parents of teen gamers believe that video games play a positive role in their child’s life. However, studies show they do just the opposite.

Researchers in the U.S. looked at the gaming habits of more than 3,000 elementary and middle-schoolers and found that 9 percent of them (270 students) were pathological gamers.  In a two-year time frame, 84 percent of the 270 addictive gamers remained so and they displayed higher levels of depression and other mental illnesses than their peers.  Common hypotheses suggest that excessive gamers are missing sleep, thus causing sleep deprivation, which is the cause of their bad grades and mental health issues.

One of the primary causes for the major increase in the population of people who are overweight and obese is excess gaming. People are so focused on their television screens that they don’t have the time or the interest to exercise, and thus rapidly gain weight. The October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows the results of an internet-based survey that looked at 562 people between the ages 19 and 92 from the Seattle area in Washington.

The results were astonishing; 45 percent of those samples regarded themselves as frequent gamers (55.9 percent were men compared to 44.1 percent women). Those who considered themselves to be active gamers had a much higher body mass index than those who did not.

Again, moderation is the key; balancing entertainment and health leads to a sustainable lifestyle. There are many video games that have games specifically designed to serve as a workout(s) and as entertainment: The Wii Fit, Dance Dance Revolution, and The Xbox Kinect.

Many people can step up to lessen this rising problem: the parents of the gamers, teachers (if the gamer is in school), and even the gamers themselves. The key word in this issue is moderation.

While parents should limit their children’s playing time, children should also realize that they need to balance their interactive activities with learning oriented activities. However, this is easier said than done.

While society deeply dwells on celebrity gossip and hot sports topics, the more productive usage of that time would be to try and find a solution to this gaming problem. If there was a figure ingenious enough to kick-start the gaming industry, why can’t there also be a figure or organization that can alleviate the problems caused by that very industry?

As stated previously, one of the negate aspects of extreme video game-play (experienced by youths) is a decline in grades. This is a major problem because getting unsatisfactory grades (especially in high school) hampers a person’s future because colleges will start declining them left and right. In the long run, not being able to go to college can hurt you.

According to the Postsecondary Education Opportunity Research Letter, the difference in yearly income between those who have bachelor degrees and those who only have high school diplomas is $29,000.

College is a pivotal part in one’s life and excessive gaming is one of the many reasons teenagers do not or cannot enroll in college. Not only does America is declining in the math and science field, it has the highest video game rates in the world.

Now put two and two together, if the American population of excessive gamers continues their ways, the population of college applicants could also decrease. As a result, America could fall even further behind countries of the likes of China and India in the math and science fields.

Overindulgence of video games is often overlooked as a factor of depression or obesity, but it in fact is a major reason for those types of health issues. Now that you know the issue in hand all you can do is spread the word.

Talk to friends, siblings, or family members who you think are suffering from this addiction and remind about its harmful effects. Your words may not have the power to completely switch an excessive gamer’s life around, but you will have done the right thing by warning them.

As long as the video game market grows, this issue will continue to enlarge as well. If people enough time to spend reading celebrity gossip and other nonsensical topics, why can’t they spread the word about important and life changing issues such as this one?