With the rise of technology and popularity of online games it was no wonder that in some point in time they would have an addictive sensation and gain excessive amounts of attention from teenage students.It has become a stereotype of how americans are really lazy and only play video games, well here in TCS gaming has become extremely popular in the last few years.

Varying from complex storylines to action packed gameplay, students would rather use their time outside of school to level up, complete achievements and missions, receive rewards than to study calculus and other demanding subjects.But a lot of them don’t realize that taking several steps forward on gaming could lead to a worrying addiction.This addiction can have some severe impact on your social and academic live, not to mention the excessive amounts of money people spend or rather waste in their virtual reality.

“I would rather spend my free time playing video games than working on my homework,” Emiliano Montoya, 11th grader, said.

One of the most noticeable impacts of video game addictions is how it changes your social life.A video game addict will begin to think twice when asked to join any plans made by his friends.Even though players can interact online, it really affects the way they act on real life.It will eventually become more difficult to act socially in real life, in some extreme cases, leading to social isolation.This mostly occurs by developing emotional attachment to online features such as characters, stories or the gameplay.

“It has definitively affected my social life to the point were a struggle to decide whether it is better to go out with my friends or to stay inside playing video games,” Montoya said.

Another really crucial aspect of video game addiction is that pretty much like gambling people who become addicted can easily lose track of how many money they spend and eventually they will end up wasting excessive amounts of money in microtransactions for instance.

A vast majority of gamers are underage, meaning their source of money is their parents.Parents will usually be against them spend this ridiculous amounts on such small details, so their addiction will force them to spend the money behind their guardians’ back and without their knowledge, basically stealing it.Not only will it leave your parents in a bit of a pickle economically but you will lose their trust and damage the relationship.

“I do spend a lot of money on games but I always make your to have my parents permission on the purchase and have never done without them knowing,” Andrew Kim, 11th grader said

The most crucial aspect for students is the interference with their academic life.With their future solely relying on it, it is impressive how easily gameaholics put it under the games they play.Video games are designed to be entertaining and complex and will surround players’ thoughts all day, distracting them from their classes and prohibit them to concentrate on their work.Something that really drives this addiction is that students find it difficult to have something in their head when they don’t find it pleasurable.

It is a philosophical concept known as the principle of pleasure.It acts almost as an instinct, to suppress want is not pleasurable and emphasize on what it.What is not pleasurable is what we have come to known as the principle of reality.Students will much rather play video games than work on their homework.This is a concept known as neurosis, a fight between both principles.

Students know that in order to positively shape their future they must focus on school but as they don’t find it pleasurable then they put it aside to focus on what they find pleasurable, in this case the video games.

“For me it depends on how big the assignment is, it determines how much priority I have to give to it.If it is a mayor assignment then I’ll prioritize it, but if it is a minor assignment then I can postpone it and play video games,” Kim said.

Pretty much like any other serious addiction, there are facilities that offer treatment for it.In places like the U.S you may find more as the issue is presented more but here in Colombia, where the addiction is less severe there are a lot less facilities. This addiction has been presented among TCS students but no to a level were close relatives and friends have to intervene and make drastic changes.

“Thankfully I am able to sort of control it to a point that I don’t fully depend of it, but I don’t know what I will do if it gets any worse because I have never heard or seen places of aid here in Colombia,” Kim said.