Mirror Magazine

 

Escape from reality

By Ruwanthi Herat Gunaratne and Vidushi Seneviratne
Click. We've got four options. Play, Load Saved Game, View High Scores and Quit. Though apprehensive at first, we enter Play. Named "Commandos", this action-packed strategy game looks quite terrifying. The enemy is closing in; our chairs are slowly gliding backwards. The atmosphere is so realistic that our pulses have now hit maximum speed. Unbelievable as it may seem, people actually enjoy this.

Computer games have become an integral part of many lives. It's a case of running to school, gulping down a hurried lunch and slinking into the computer room to enter a world of make-believe. Rushing out only when a familiar car horn informs you that your parents are now within the precincts.

Do you need help?
Experts suggest asking the following questions to determine if you are spending too much time on the computer playing games and working online. If the answer to any or all is yes, they say you may want to seek help.

Is the amount of time you spend on the computer causing problems to your family? At school or at work?

Do you repeatedly break family or work rules about when and how much computer time is allowed?

Do you ever lie about the time spent on the computer?

Do you forego meals or baths to spend time on the computer?

Are you spending excessive time on the computer to avoid anything? Such as boredom, loneliness or any other problem?

Do you throw temper tantrums when limits are imposed on your computer time?

Do you withdraw from friends, family and activities to spend time on the computer?

Sources: Alan Marlett, director of the Addictive Behaviours Research Centre at the University of Washington and David Walsh, President of the National Institute on Media and the Family.

"Yes, it is addictive," smiles Yohan, a 17-year-old self-proclaimed computer game addict. "It's a means of escape from reality. It's better than watching a movie as it is interactive. You can be an active participant in the game." But is it not a waste of time? "That depends on the person and the game. Some games are not that interesting and you cannot play it for a long time, whilst some demand your attention with no concern for the time factor. If you are a parent, you must know when to say enough is enough."

But how easy is that? Mrs. E. Fernando, a working mother of an eight-year-old has a problem. "I tell my son that he may play for an hour after lunch. Once the hour's up I inform him that he must stop now. Then the pleading starts, "But Mummy, I have to save the game. If I don't, I'll have to start all over again." And so it goes on and on. It's a vicious cycle.

Some parents try using strategic tactics in restricting their kids. "My sons are allowed to play computer games only three days a week, for two hours," says Mrs. E. Karunaratne, a mother of two boys, aged six and eight. "We got them bicycles and a climbing frame, as other playing options, and they have to go and play outside, once time is up." According to her, they prefer the games that are fast moving and as a result she has noticed that the kids have grown impatient and cranky at times. Peer pressure also plays an important role. "I've found that the kids are interested mainly in the games that their classmates speak of. They want to compare the levels that they are currently in. The highest scores they've achieved. They love exchanging shortcuts and cheat modes. It's a growing fascination."

An interesting factor is that it's not just children who opt to escape into this imaginary world. Many adults too are addicted. Nishajith (17), says that it was thanks to his 25-year-old brother who was and still is an active participant in this wonderful world of "make believe" that he went into the gaming process. "You enter a world that is so unreal and so unlike your own. That is the fascination the computer games hold." But would it not be nicer to actually play that same game with a bunch of your friends? "It would, but imagine the hassle of collecting your friends on a specific day. They've all got their own programmes." Transport is a problem.

Chandana Bandara of Global Vision Technologies, a shop specialising in computer games and other software says that there is no specific age limit when it comes to computer games. "Even middle aged men rush to the games section of the shop. Young girls too show an interest but it's more on the lines of the strategy games."

Computer games can be addictive and time wasting but there seem to be some positive points as well. In a study conducted in the United Kingdom, parents and teachers say that they have noticed an improvement in mathematics, reading skills and spellings amongst younger children. They also help stimulate thinking and planning skills. Chandana agrees. "One game in particular springs to mind. In this game, the player has to first feed, train and prepare an army for war. There is a lot of strategic planning involved. Players tend to think before they act. And that is a quality that can be applied even in everyday life." But don't action games encourage violence amongst the children? "The variety of games helps to reduce that." Sports games, sports planning games, town-planning games - the assortment is endless.

True. We too are now officially hooked. We've already "died" twice but there remains hope. The enemy is now backing up. We've won. No, we've lost. It's hours since we sat down in front of "that box" and time to quit. Click. We are done.

Calming people
Most video and computer games tend to get the pulse racing. But researchers in Dublin, Ireland are working on developing games to help calm people. Gary McDarby and the Mindgames team at Media Lab, Europe are looking at gaming technologies in order to aid people suffering from depression or trauma. In their latest project called "Brainchild" the player tries to unlock a door simply through his/her brainwaves. "You are playing a game, but hopefully over time you would learn what it is that helps you relax," explains Dr. McDarby.

(This report is available on the Internet at the BBC news website.)

A tragedy
Shawn Woolley's mother Liz found her son's body slumped in a rocking chair in front of his computer. His head was turned to one side still facing a screen of the online game that she says had become his obsession. At Shawn's side was a .22 calibre rifle that he'd used to end his life. The 21-year-old left no suicide note and had quit his job more than a week earlier. The only signs of what had been on his mind were a few scribbled names and terms related to "Everquest", an online virtual reality game he'd been playing for well over a year.

Latest computer games
The fastest moving computer games in the market today:
Delta Force
Celtic Kings
Halcyon Sun
Flight Down Under 2002
Mafia
Cricket Collection
Hidden and Dangerous
Need For Speed (NFS 1-5)
Tiberian Sun 2002
Task Force Dagger
Source: Global Vision Technologies


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