According to the latest survey of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Bihar leads the country in playing online games. 78.65% of the state’s adolescents (aged 7 to 17 years) play online games daily, in which they spend 7 to 8 hours in gaming. The survey was conducted between July and August 2024, with the participation of 2 lakh children. Bihar is followed by children of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, where 75% of adolescents play online games.
Effects of Gaming on Children
This survey revealed that online gaming is having a serious impact on the education and mental health of children. The World Health Organization (WHO) also recognized gaming addiction as a mental illness in 2018, which is called “gaming disorder”. This survey found that about 50% of the children of Bihar are going through mental stress, while 20% of the children are not even able to take school exams due to online gaming.
Financial losses and debt
Due to online gaming, children are being affected not only mentally but also financially. About 48% of children play dangerous games like Blue Whale Challenge, Tide Pod Challenge, and Choking Game, which is increasing mental stress and feeling of failure in them. Some children are even getting into debt due to this addiction, and start borrowing money to keep playing games.
Effects on health
Physical problems like back, head, and shoulder pain have also been seen in children due to sitting and playing games for long hours continuously. According to the report of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children should not be given more than one hour of screen time daily. Apart from this, it is very important to involve children in playing outside and physical activities so that their physical and mental health remains balanced.
