A child in Rajasthan’s Alwar has reportedly been sent to a special school after he recently suffered severe tremors and lost his mental balance on playing games like PUBG and Free Fire in which he happened to lose online. As per a report by ANI, Special Teacher Bhavani Sharma said, “A child has come to our special school. As per our assessment and the statements of his relatives, he is a victim of games like Free Fire. The child lost in the game. The game is such that if a player loses, they are unable to tolerate it – they either die by suicide or lose their mental balance. This child too has lost his mental balance…We have prepared a format of sports activities for the child and as per that we have to help the child win all of them so that he overcomes the fear of loss and remembers his victory.” Gaming addiction, also known as gaming disorder or video game addiction, refers to the extreme and compulsive use of video games that obstructs with a person’s daily life, work, education or relationships. It is characterised by a loss of control over gaming habits, prioritising gaming over other responsibilities and experiencing negative consequences as a result of excessive gaming where is typically identified by the presence of several symptoms including preoccupation with gaming, withdrawal symptoms when not playing, loss of interest in other activities, unsuccessful attempts to cut back or quit gaming, continued excessive gaming despite negative consequences and jeopardising relationships or responsibilities due to gaming. According to health experts, gaming addiction can be influenced by various factors such as psychological, social and environmental elements while some common contributing factors include the immersive and rewarding nature of games, social interactions within gaming communities, escapism from real-life problems, underlying mental health issues and a lack of alternative fulfilling activities. In severe cases, it can contribute to depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. In case of the Alwar child, experiencing severe tremors or physical symptoms after losing online games is a rare occurrence and would require a medical evaluation to determine the underlying cause but with this case study and previous researches, it is now clear that losing in online games can elicit a range of emotional reactions including frustration, anger, disappointment and stress.
