Picture a dimly lit room with a scrawny-looking boy with greasy hair and smelly breath that sits at a desk with the monitor light shining on his pale face. Empty soda cans lay waste on one side of the small room while bags of chips are opened on his desk. Sounds of his keyboard and mouse echo throughout the room with occasional screams and sounds of annoyance. His parents enter the room, pointing at the clock and yelling at the boy to do his homework while the young gamer pretends not to hear. As seconds turn into minutes and minutes turn into hours, the boy's eyes become redder from gazing at the monitor for too long. Many people, especially parents, view gamers as socially isolated individuals who waste their time playing video games instead of learning.

If someone is really into gaming, their sleep and productivity can suffer as a result. Gaming addicts, like drinkers and drug addicts, succumb to its allure and lose self-control as they continue to play games in unhealthy ways regularly. According to the American Physiological Association, people with gaming addiction exhibit some of the following characteristics: Failure to control; withdrawal; loss of interest in other activities; loss of a relationship, education, or career opportunity. A long period of gaming might be damaging to not only one's physical but mental health. 

However, for most people, gaming is a highly social activity and an excellent form of entertainment. Gaming allows people to escape the harsh realities of life by introducing a new world to enjoy vicariously, just like reading a book or watching a movie. Moreover, gaming for a short amount of time can boost the production of endorphins in the human body, similar to the effects of exercise, helping one relax. After participating in this stress-relieving activity, many can focus better on other duties, such as homework or studying for a test. Not only is gaming entertainment, but it is also a social platform to meet new friends. For example, going into a round in Valorant (a team-based shooting game), one can easily become friends with a teammate through collaborating to kill their opponents and winning games. Also, gaming can help boost one’s creativity and problem-solving skills as it requires cognitive skills to overcome challenges. For instance, Minecraft is a building game that allows people to improve their creativity by building something incredible out of scratch. In essence, gaming can be an excellent pastime if one knows how to control and limit their gaming time. Indeed, gaming can be viewed as a reward factor. 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-health-effects-of-too-much-gaming-2020122221645 
https://www.istockphoto.com/kr/%EC%9D%B4%EB%AF%B8%EC%A7%80/friends-gaming 

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