Downsides of playing games online

By Burnett Munthali

Excessive gaming can lead to neglecting responsibilities, strained relationships, and a decline in overall well-being. Online Harassment and Toxic Behavior: Online gaming communities can sometimes harbor toxic behavior, cyberbullying, and harassment.

Gaming has several disadvantages. One of the main disadvantages is the potential for excessive screen time, which can have negative effects on physical and mental health . Another disadvantage is the risk of legitimised abuse, where players may experience harassment or bullying within the gaming community .

The biggest online gaming risks include: Cyberbullying and online harassment, Inappropriate or upsetting content, Account takeovers and hacking, Malware and viruses, Identity theft and privacy issues, Online predators, Excessive in-game spending, and Devoting too much time to gaming.



They are a way to connect and interact with others. Many people love playing games, whether on gaming consoles, computers, or mobile devices. But there are dangers of online gaming, including viruses, identity theft, and phishing attacks.

The continuous use of phones also impacts your mental and physical health. People remain in the same posture for hours while gaming, which results in disorders. Several studies have suggested that people develop anxiety, obesity, sleeping disorders, and stress due to this.

According to the research results, when college students are addicted to online games, their learning engagement can be affected, which may decrease their behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement; their academic achievement motivation may be further reduced and affect their academic success or even prevent them from completing their studies. The mediating role of learning engagement between online game addiction and reduced academic achievement motivation indicates that reduced academic achievement motivation influenced by online game addiction could be prevented or weakened by enhancing learning engagement.

While online gaming can have some benefits, such as improving hand‐eye coordination and problem‐solving skills, it can also have negative effects, such as addiction and disrupted sleep patterns.