Sosped’s Limitless Gaming (Digipelirajaton) is a nationwide action that tackels problematic gaming in Finland.
I hail from the very first trained batch of volunteers, starting from 2018. I have been in a few action-based peer support groups (bootcamps), given one or two interviews to the radio and a news article, giving information about stuff to social (and other) workers and many more things.
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What do you identify as problem gaming?
A fine question!
The easiest answer is effect of the hobby towards other aspects of life. If one’s relationships with people suffer, or school or work, because one rather sits in front of one’s gaming device, then there’s a chance that one has a gaming disorder. Also, continuously postponing things that need to be done in real life and rather play games can be a sign.
Things that can lead to adding gaming hours:
- having most friendships in multiplayer games
- feeling that one’s not good enough in the real world compared to skills and activities related in video games
- getting praise for what one does in games but receives no positive feedback in real life
- having the urge to flee from real world through escapism (problems with parents, bullying, traumas and other life difficulties)
.
Some people don’t even get joy from games anymore, and they still continue the activity. Some get to the point of experiencing suicidal thoughts. Then there’s the thing of social exclusion - you simply drift away from the society and lock yourself up at home.
EDIT: It doesn’t mean that one has problems if one is having a blast with games for one or two weeks. After a half a year and neglecting other parts of life however…
