Excessive gaming is an addiction just like gambling and may have serious effects on the minds and health of children and teenagers, experts have warned.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns gave a boost to the gaming market in India. According to a recent report by Lumikai, a gaming-focused venture capital fund, India became the largest consumer of mobile games in the world in FY22 with a record 15 billion downloads. It is also home to more than 900 gaming companies.

Video games are a source of entertainment and relaxation and have also been shown to boost a person's cognitive skills, creativity, communication and reflexes. However, gaming addiction has given rise to negative coping mechanisms, unhealthy lifestyles, loneliness and isolation, depression and even suicidal ideation.

"One of the most current trends among teenagers is the development of video game addiction as they become increasingly isolated from their social lives and get entirely absorbed in the virtual gaming world," Sameer Malhotra, Director and Head - of the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, told IANS.

Just like gambling, "excessive gaming can stimulate some of the reward centres of the brain, and this leads to kids and teenagers getting hooked to the gaming screens. As a result, there can be multiple behavioural, mental and health issues in the kids," added Shreya Dubey, Consultant, Neonatology and Paediatrics, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram.

According to a 2022 report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), online gaming compels children to a sedentary life by reducing opportunities for physical activity, thus becoming one of the main drivers of obesity -- a precursor to several diseases, including cancer, type-2 diabetes, heart problems and lung conditions. It is also the main cause of disability, the report said.

Dubey said increased gaming means children spend less time doing healthy real-world activities.

"There are many cases of depression, anxiety, kids becoming sad, shy, aggressive or violent because they are so obsessed with gaming. They get inadequate sleep, and less physical activity which leads to them being overweight and they may develop multiple health problems. They do not feel alert, active or vigilant except in front of the screen. There is a constant need for external validation because they are so much into gaming. It's not good," Dubey told IANS.

The doctors called out parents to spend more time with their children and increasingly monitor their online activities and motivate them to a healthy lifestyle. Parents should also set a time limit for gaming and should monitor the use of mobiles and games by their kids.

"Parents need to be aware of the negative effects that gaming has on their children's health and behaviour, and they should establish clear limits on the number of hours per day and specific time slots as well as encourage their children to engage in more physical activities and outdoor play to broaden their interests and cut down on their reliance on video games," Vipul Gupta, Chief, Neurointerventional Surgery, and Co-chief, Stroke Unit, Artemis Hospital, Gurugram, told IANS.

Malhotra recommended maintaining good sleep hygiene and a healthy sleep-wake cycle, a balanced diet, regular physical sports, and creative hobbies. Avoid using mobile phones in bed and while having meals, as well as avoid strategic violent games, he suggested.

"Children who don't get enough sleep may become exhausted, more isolated, and more secretive. So parents need to spend more time with them and monitor their schedules. Indulging in such games, drugs, or other inappropriate behaviours is less likely when parents start spending more time with their children," he told IANS.