Has PUBG negatively affected our younger generation? Is PUBG harmful to the physical and mental health of children and adolescence? Is PUBG a productive game? Is PUBG ban in Pakistan a good decision? There are many questions like that but at the same time, the PUBG is a means of earning for many people through tournaments. Since the government announced the ban on PUBG, much discussion is going on whether it was the right decision or not?

Let me highlight the possible harm PUBG and other violent games are causing on our younger generation:

Game Addiction

In 2018, WHO characterized gaming addiction as a mental health disorder because gaming addiction produces the same effect as substance addiction. The addiction to the games can stimulate similar reward and pleasure areas, which are activated while using a drug. When children are asked to stop playing these games, they become aggressive and vicious, and they can’t stay away from it for a much longer span of time in a similar way as drug users do, who cannot stay away from the substance they are addicted to. Addiction to video games is a disorder that needs treatment.

Time Consumption

PUBG is a game that is very time consuming and people can play it continuously for hours, which obviously consumes a lot of their time that they could use to do something productive instead. Even when they are not playing, they keep on thinking about the strategies to play it more skilfully to win it, and thereby, it makes them less focused on other activities they are performing. More screen time can also affect their eyesight.

Prompt Violent Behaviour

PUBG is a game where players can interact with each other. These interactions are mostly abusive and threatening because players are competing against each other so they become more insulting, and in some cases even they threaten each other.

Apart from this, the constant exposure to killing and violent content makes players aggressive, violent, and less empathetic in real-world life. This point can be proven by a famous Bobo doll experiment of “Albert Bandura” that showed that children who were exposed to violent content played with their dolls violently, and those children who weren’t exposed to the violent content played normally with the bobo doll. Therefore, the excessive disclosure of violent content can actually make one’s behavior, thinking pattern, and emotions brutal.

False Sense of Achievement

These games can give players a false sense of achievement and divert them away from the practical world where achieving something is a bit difficult. Players start having this false accomplishment, and then they stop trying to achieve something in reality. The accomplishments in games are a momentary escape from the reality of life and rewards are very brief which eventually cause depression and anxiety.

Causes Depression and Anxiety

While playing these games, players usually stay away from everyone, such as friends and family, and avoid them which causes loneliness. This behaviour gives rise to depressive symptoms. Moreover, isolation for a long time can cause anxiety in public places. Losing the game time and again can also cause depression and anxiety and a feeling of worthlessness in the players, as it is their only sense of achievement. Reportedly, lots of teens have committed suicide because they missed their mission or lose the game, across the world.

Disturbs Circadian Rhythm

Most of the gamers don’t have specific sleeping time and usually stay up late at night. As a consequence, their circadian cycle gets disturbed and it affects their overall health in a very negative manner. Lack of sleep can also cause irritability, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, paranoia, and hallucinations.

These days, most of the people and gamers are arguing that these games are the source of income for many people, and banning it can take away that source; but, the question here is that many people earn through drug dealing and other illicit activities too. Does that earning make such things legal? the answer is no. So what do you think about the PUBG ban in Pakistan while we can see its unfiltered negative effects on both the physical and mental health of younger generations? Looking forward to seeing your comments!