Analysis of Local Literature About The Effects of Online Games

This paper presents an analysis of local literature about the effects of online games amoung Bhutanese youth. The emphasis was made on social and health implications of online gaming and what consequences it has on youth.  

Development in technology has drastically changed the lives of Bhutanese over many years. One of the changes is the online gaming provided by the internet. With the advent of the mobile phone, it is found that the increasing number of Bhutanese youth is indulged in playing online games. The study shows that 79% of internet is used for education, 57% for social networking and 29% for gaming. A research from the United States found out that 97% of the teenagers aged 12-17 engaged in online game, play behavior and almost 40% of Dutch youth indicate to play game for at least three hours on the average week per days. Some examples of the world best online games are Players Unknown Battlegrounds (PUBG), Defense of ancients (Dota), Clash of clans (COC) and Mobile legends. These games are hugely popular among the Bhutanese youth. Online gaming effects the youth in both positive and negative ways. However, these online gaming leads to social and health problems, replications of gaming actions and creates distraction to studies.

Social and Health Implications of Online Gaming

First of all, there are many social and health problems of online gaming such as, relationship failures, sleeping disorder, eye strain and lack of hygiene. One of the players parent said that due to online gaming a children spent less time with their families and also gives less importance in their studies. Online gaming results in decrease in inter-personal relationships and family relationships. Tshering Dorji, a class seven student spends five hours at game parlor. It clearly shows that children are giving more time on their games than their social activities. When children spend more time on their games, it distorts their sleeping time, where it is necessary for children to sleep for at least eight hours. Decrease in physical activities, productivity and laziness is the result of online gaming. All these characteristics are seen in Bhutanese youth playing video games. Spending more time on mobile and computer leads to eye strain due to quality graphics in many games is sophisticated. Moreover youths are found to be eating snacks while playing online games which are not recommended by doctors. Therefore, online gaming creates relationship problems and health issue.

Secondly, youths are seen to be replicating the gaming actions which may be violent and harmful. There were repeated cases in the school and home. A student who was addicted in playing wrestling and counter strike games were using the freestyles, stunts and attacks in the real life. Numerous youths were applying such skills without protection. There were reports of increasing violence in Bhutanese schools with children copying wrestling moves they see on the video games. Recently Bhutan telecom received a letters from the Bhutan Infocom and Media Authority (BICMA) to block the application Players unknown battleground in a country. Blocking this game is technically difficult. Director off MICMA, Jigme Wangdi said that they have to take the temporary measures to look in effects of this game, as they have received severe complaint from the people. The graphics in many games are so realistic and some games might not be suitable for children age as it might contain violent or sexual explicit content or scenes intended to invoke horror or fear. Youths are destroying their future without noticing it. They are replicating the scenes and actions of the games which are thrilling. Mostly the youths are becoming violent. In research it is found that youth tends to bully or abuse other by copying the actions in the game. There is high risk of hearing offensive language from others when the children take part in multiplayer game. Whereas using such language may be imitated by young generation of Bhutan which is disrespectful to the country. Therefore, such replications are violent and it creates problem in the society.

Online gaming has distracted Bhutanese youth from their studies. When a person gets very addicted to online game, they tend to lose concentration on studies and focus more on online game which affects their academic performance. Children spend about 3-5 hours in the online games and spend less or no tie in their studies. A study showed that with the rapid increase in Bhutanese online players, their interest in studying has drastically dropped. This raised a concern among the player parents. On the other hand students were found going late to the class or staying absent due to playing game late night. Such issues were common in all the schools. One of the players parent claims that the children is hardly interested in the studies and also they do not involve themselves in any social activities. Youth of these days are addicted to the online gaming that they study only at the time of examination, thereby affecting their academic results. In Bhutan the online players do not earn any money unlike other developed countries. So, it is really important for a student to focus on their studies and to play less online games. Therefore, online games of today have created a distraction in their studies.

Conclusion

Online gaming is leading youth in many negative ways as it creates interpersonal relationship problems between the families. Playing online games have distort their sleeping routine, lose internet in all the social activities and mostly led to health problems of the youth. This increase in youths playing online games has created insecurities in society by imitating the games attack and actions leading to the bullying. Moreover an online game contains violent, horror and explicit content which are not appropriate for some aged group children. Due to online gaming students are performing low in their academics. They are focusing more on their online games than their important social activities. It creates distraction to their students thereby failing in examinations. Hence online gaming impacts the Bhutanese youth in negative ways in the case of relationships and health problems, applying gaming actions in reality and on their academic performance.

References

• Dorji, L. (2015). Performances of the students at the tertiary level of education in Bhutan.Kuensel, p.1.
• Dorji, Y. (2016). Attenion called for internet addiction. Kuensel, p.3.
• Huggler, J. (2009). Bhutan grapples with influence of gaming wrestling violents.Delhi news, pp.1-5
• Lhamo, P. (2016). Effects of online games on teenagers.Daily Bhutan, p.4.
• Yonten, K. (2017). Coc realsed for iphone os platforms and on google play for android. Kuensel , p.1.