We’re going back to the future with this piece because, as was commonly predicted in the 1980s when the first NES system wrapped its tendril-like remote control wires around the lives of many a youth, at least one group is anticipating that gaming will be the next major addiction.
Norcas, a charity organization that provides assistance with drug and substance abuse, commissioned an independent study about gaming and addictive tendencies among 10 to 16-year-olds and found that 40% of children under 16 thought they knew at least one person they considered to be addicted to video games. The Norfolk Evening News spoke with Norcas on Monday:
Maggie Williams, chief executive of Norcas, said: “It is a generational issue, with almost 100pc of young people engaging in gaming. If played responsibly, gaming is a good pastime, but we need people to be aware of the problems that will arise if the gaming takes hold. Some 86pc of the people we spoke to agreed that gaming can be addictive and revealed lack of exercise and poorer relationships with friends, partners and parents as some of the problems experienced as a result of gaming.”
While video games aren’t naturally bad things or implements of some digital dark lord, they can be fantastic time-wasters. Having said that: all things in moderation, people. Take small bites and chew twenty times before swallowing. No binges. And think of it this way: not only are you honing your hand-eye coordination, but you’re developing spatial perception skills: