According to 73 per cent of parents, their kids prefer playing shooting and adventure games and 21 per cent parents say their kids like playing card and casino games. (Express Photo: Anuj Bhatia)
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the video gaming industry has experienced a boom in terms of the number of players. A lot of people have taken up playing video games as a hobby and most are even enjoying all of this. But there is another side to it. According to NortonLifeLock’s new India Digital Wellness Report, online gaming is taking a toll on people’s physical and mental well-being.
According to the survey conducted by NortonLifeLock between 1,572 participants, 87 per cent of people think that online gaming affects their physical and mental well-being. 76 per cent of people think that action game addiction has changed their behaviour raising levels of depression and anxiety. Lastly, 70 per cent of people think that children playing online video games are vulnerable to cyberbullying, harassment and violence.
It states that 88 per cent of female and 92 per cent of generation X respondents said that online games are the best pass time. Respondents from cities like Delhi, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Bhubaneswar said that they prefer playing online games rather than engaging in social interactions.
According to 73 per cent of parents, their kids prefer playing shooting and adventure games and 21 per cent parents say their kids like playing card and casino games. They also state that this is causing difficulties in preventing smartphone addiction in children. 45 per cent of the respondents stated that they are finding it extremely difficult to control their children’s smartphone usage.
“People could be drawn to online gaming for entertainment, but data shows that it is not all about fun and games. The virtual playing field comes with risks such as identity theft, cyberbullying, phishing, and credit card theft, to name a few,” said Ritesh Chopra, Director, NortonLifeLock, India.
“It is interesting to note that children follow the same patterns as their parents when it comes to online gaming. Therefore, it becomes extremely important for parents as well as children to be educated about the threats that can compromise their safety and privacy in this complex digital world. ‘Play well and stay safe’ seem to be the new mantra in these challenging times,” he added.
Not everything is bad with gaming though, NortonLifeLock during its survey found that 70 per cent of the people say that playing online games is making them smarter. It is doing this by improving hand-eye co-ordination and enhancing teamwork skills.