PUBG or Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds is a highly rated video game which is popular with those under and over the age of 18. Before this there was Pokemon Go, Candy Crush, Ludo Star Fortnite , Counter Strike and many others. It shocks me to see how this video game craze has taken over our youth. I fear that it must be harmful as it is addictive.
The World Health Organization in 2018 declared gaming addiction as a mental health disorder. Addiction to video games increases depression and anxiety levels. Violent games like PUBG can trigger aggressive thought, emotions and behavior affecting the mental well being of the player. Prolonged exposure of the game can make children always think about war situations and battle. It can also lead to develop aggressive behavior and action including murder also. Furthermore, people who played PUBG game also suffered from such problems as strain on the eyes, migraine, obesity, poor sleep, bad academic score, failing social life and much more. Despite this, youngsters and adults spend a lot of time playing PUBG. This is not healthy and I hope parents will make a conscious decision to ensure that their children spend less time online. There have been several complaints about such games. PUBG is being banned in India, Nepal, Iraq while China has already banned it. Why are we waiting for a loss?
Syeda Anosha Gilani
Karachi