Computer games are classified as leisure and many are encouraged to use this as a means of calming down or getting through some emotional challenges or learning how to spell or remember spelling or restoring brain function
Unfortunately, the computer use environment is an excitatory environment. We are excited and want to continue to remain excited. This feeling of excitement is coupled with a feeling of anonymity and being in control and unchallenged. There are no criticisms, no one to challenge our thoughts and assumption and we can effectively lock out the real world and its problems and challenges.
This sound okay right just like if you watch a football or tennis or basketball or any other game. We try to achieve what we would from the non-personal human interaction we get from watching physical games from computer games.
Well, it does not work out that way. Physical games involve physical interaction especially if one is actually at the game and we all draw resources from each other and from the environment especially if it is an outdoor game calming us down and building up our life coping capabilities.
Let us look at specific computer games
Word Computer games:
Crossword puzzles have been around for a long time and have helped so many of us both as children learning how to spell and as adults wanting to maintain our spelling skills. It has been especially useful for aging people helping to keep them sharp and boosting their brain function and their ability to think logically.
This is what we have all known as the huge benefits of crossword puzzles. And why we all love them and still buy puzzle books.
These benefits work well both indoors and outdoors. Outdoors yield the best benefit as the benefit of our hearts stimulating our brains to produce additional inhibitory neurotransmitters that handle the learning functions and that help us sit patiently reducing our propensity for impatience, worry, and other harmful emotions just as it happens with hobbies like knitting and crocheting.
This works well because we are coded to read with natural light. Because most construction materials are harmful and toxic and are made fully or partially from hydrocarbon derivatives they do not allow adequate natural balancing of indoor air, we feel better outside in naturally balanced air.
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There are several word games available online such as Wordle that try to give the same benefits and are consequently advertised as brain exercises.
These are well-intentioned efforts that may temporarily work to provide a feeling of well-being but can quickly descend into addiction, several emotional challenges such as loss of empathy and disconnect with reality, and being sucked into a virtual imagination that dulls the reality of whatever emotional issues one may be facing but replacing it with vindictive or thoughts of violence or harm or disconnection from the actual reality of the situation.
This can lead to self-pity and depression that may not be overcome with medication or therapy.
Some may feel emotional pain that may feel very real. All these emotional issues are the body’s way of telling one that participation in the game is becoming excessive. It is however not a warning easily heard by the sufferer who has convinced themselves they only feel engaged, happy, energized and alert, and alive when playing this computer game.
Invariably one can inadvertently begin to neglect other aspects of life just to be in a position to play the game continually. One may find oneself still playing the game in the mind when away from the computer and doing other things leading to a lack of attention and mistake which can be costly. Instead of concentrating on the task at hand, one is distracted by thoughts of some puzzle or word and constantly looking for how to use the latest word learned or how to be better at the game so much so it can become all-consuming
Why do all these issues come up you may ask? That is because of the various depletions of resources the heart normally stimulates the brain to produce when we read with natural light which is what we are coded with for reading, vision, and revelation of things around us.
These resources keep us emotionally balanced. They calm the mind and keep things in perspective i.e. enable us to build emotional balance and keep us calm.
That is why if we are overcharged with excitement and stress the best destresser is a long walk outside in the sun. You will have a better understanding of the situation and be a lot calmer after the walk.
The depletions also leave gamers prone to developing hyperactivity and panic attacks, finding it difficult to calm down even when no longer on the computer.
The problem with all this is that one can easily be diagnosed with all sorts of mental issues and medicated for something that does not need medication. Medication will actually worsen the situation as it is impossible to increase neurotransmitter production with medication.
All that will be achieved is the redistribution of existing levels. Â This will lead to new problems as other areas suffer neurotransmitter shortfalls. These are some of what is normally identified as side effects on drug labels.
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As we may have come to realize, these depletions mean that we consequently are producing more excitatory neurotransmitters, and are not adequately controlled leaving us with addictions and all the other emotional issues described above.
Locating the computer near a source of natural light such as a widow and allowing fresh air in by cracking open the window and investing in indoor plants as well as drinking water may help to reduce the negative effects at least in the short term.
Achieving moderation is the only sure way to reduce these effects.
How can we achieve moderation? Here are some tips –Do some of your puzzle games using a written book version which breaks the monotony, avoid doing computer games at night as this can lead to loss of sleep time, time yourself and keep to the allotted time regardless. Get up and go for a walk outside.
Sit outside for a while enjoying the environment, do some breathing exercises and stretches pray to our maker asking for help, acknowledge to yourself that you need help, and Get someone to keep you accountable. Please scroll down to “Ways to reduce the harm from computer games below. It is the last section on this page
Problem Solving computer games:
These games include some violent games that challenge the games to find solutions to some situations and seem to be the most popular games favored by children and young adults.
Many reenact scenes close that are available in movies and comics and fictional books encouraging the player to use their knowledge to figure out solutions to various scenarios many of which are violent including war games, spy/espionage, murder, pirates, etc. Some of these games can be directly linked to some cases of cyberbullying and mass murders as the player tries to enact the game scenario in real life.
As we said above with the word games so it is with the problem-solving games, the depletions in resources result in a loss of empathy and connection with reality so that when these players find themselves in the real world they revert to the games and reenact what they did forgetting and becoming disconnected to the real world so they see others as game characters and exert the same level of viciousness they exert in front of the computer with dire consequences for all.
They replace the people who they feel have offended them or bullied them or rejected them which may be a wrong perception but they are so immersed in the virtual life where they control everything any criticism or challenge must be dealt with and gotten rid of as they would with game characters.
This phenomenon of excessive self-pity and revenge-seeking is true even for word games and any other kind of computer-based games. The emotional imbalance in the computer use environment cannot be over-emphasized. This is why some murder their colleagues. They lose touch with reality.
Video games: There is a lot of controversy about the health effects of video games because it is a high-income generating industry. It is money over people.
Though there have been many reports of children and young adults or even full adults dying from continuous playing because they are unable to stop due to addiction and many have become a schizophrenic hearing voices from long-term playing and other mental issues such as losing empathy and wanting to win at all cost as well as constant ever excitement, people are left on their own without guidance on how to gain control as well as possible health effect.
Because games are played in the presence of artificial light with inherent depletions, the benefits derived from video games can easily be negated by the very serious negative consequences of the various depletions especially as we do not normally eat for operating in a computer environment and may feel excessively hungry or thirsty and meet these with snacks and soda. On the other hand, some actually become so addicted they refuse to meet these needs and suffer many consequences including death.
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Ways to reduce the harm from Computer Games:
Moderation and accountability are key in any computer use situation. Time yourself and never go above the allotted time no matter what i.e. exercise discipline and have someone check on you to keep you accountable. Also always remind yourself that it is not reality and that you are not in sunlight.
If you find yourself thinking of the game all the time and tempted to drop everything for it just shut down and get away for a few days. Always take breaks between games and also daily and go for long computer-free vacations. These will all allow your body and emotions to rebalance.
Try as much as possible to have access to natural light. Go for long walks, play outdoor games, and make sure your computer is near a window so natural light can come in also. Crack open the window.
Change your diet. Use the suggestions on this website and foodsthathealdaily.com as well as the podcast available at precipidecisiontraing.com. If you are reading this page, it means you are a member which gives you complimentary free membership to the other websites. Take advantage of everything.
Sleep well. Sleep in a room without the lights on. Keep your room dark when sleeping. Wake up with the sun i.e. set your alarm to get up between 5-7 am depending on where you live. This way your body’s natural rhythm is not violated.
Drink water. A lot of clean clear water distilled/well or borehole water is best. If you have no access to these then at least let it be purified water to help the kidneys cope with the excessive toxic exposure inherent in computer use.
Practice blinking often when in front of the computer to reduce the stress on the eye muscles. The heart does not recognize computer light as light and so does not automatically enact the blink function often enough
Wash your face after computer use before going to bed to wash off toxins that stick to the skin and use the Dental page on this website to practice adequate dental hygiene measures.