5 stages of gambling addiction, as well as ways to avoid gambling addiction

Gambling addiction is a disease of modern society

Gambling addiction is a chronic progressive mental illness that falls under the category of addictions.
Other names for gambling addiction are gambling, gambling addiction. This disease is included in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, under heading F63.0 and is considered on a par with addictions such as alcohol or drugs. The fast pace of modern life, the great demands made by society on a particular person, the need to make quick and error-free decisions - all this, like a snowball, falls on the heads of the individual.

Many people break under the pressure of modern society and look for ways to escape pressing problems, resorting to various kinds of addictions. In some cases it is a “green snake”, in others it is a needle into a vein. Gambling plays a significant role among addictions in modern society.

The percentage of gambling addicts among all types of addictions in the territory of the former USSR is, according to rough estimates, from 3% to 5%. According to the forecasts of addiction scientists (specialists in various types of addictions), this percentage is inexorably growing every year. The majority of gambling addicts are undoubtedly teenagers.

How to get rid of gambling addiction?

Experts believe that gaming addiction is mostly similar to other types of addiction. You should not distance yourself if a loved one exhibits symptoms of gambling addiction. It is important to start working to rid a relative or friend of a harmful hobby. You should not resort to persuasion, accusations, or shaming. These actions will lead to the person simply withdrawing into himself or showing aggression. It’s best to contact a specialist to understand where it all started.

It is possible that gambling addiction is a consequence of family problems. Most often, parents have ceased to be interested in the lives of their children, and their spouses have ceased to be interested in their other halves. You need to provide support to your loved one so that he can talk about his problems.

Who is susceptible to gambling?

For the development of any addiction (including gaming addiction), it is necessary to have certain personal characteristics of the individual and certain predisposing environmental factors.

Personality Features

Personal characteristics of the psyche that predispose to the formation of gambling addiction include:

• low self-esteem;
• intolerance to criticism;
• anxiety;
• tendency to mood disorders, depression, suicidal tendencies;
• impulsiveness;
• a tendency towards symbolic (mystical thinking), inferior to rational thinking;
• thirst for active action;
• passion for risky actions, etc.

Thus, modern science has the character traits that a potential player possesses.

Among the personal characteristics that predispose to the development of gambling addiction, the motive for which a person begins to get involved in gambling is important.

Scientists identify two main motives that guide a potential player.

1. A person’s need for risk, for dominance, for proof of his superiority over other people.
2. Care, escape from the surrounding reality.

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Predisposing factors

Environmental factors predisposing to the development of gambling addiction can be divided into several blocks.

1. Informational, including the wide availability of gambling, promoting this accessibility on radio, television, and the Internet; abundance of gambling advertising in the media.
2. Family, arising from improper upbringing of the individual or the presence of various intrafamily problems and conflicts. Family factors include:
   lack of clear moral and ethical boundaries between generations in the same family;
3. lack of rational models of behavior and response to a particular situation in the family;
4. the lack of clear and defined roles for each family member in society;
5. conflict in attitudes, principles, behavior patterns;
6. inadequacy in family budget planning, etc.
7. Economic, which are implemented by corporations that promote gambling to the global services market.

Why people often treat people who play games badly

In 2019, the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM) conducted a survey among Russians about their attitude towards video games, which showed that 58% of respondents consider them harmful due to the following consequences:

1. The emergence of addiction (26%);
2. Decreased visual acuity (23%);
3. Negative impact on the human psyche (13%);
4. Decreased mental abilities (10%).

The generally accepted stereotypes that all gamers are addicted and sick people are inherent in adults who are distrustful of computer technology, or their loved ones or relatives (and perhaps they themselves) have experienced gambling addiction. A person’s immersion in games of any kind makes them detached from society, their thought processes and perception of the world differ from the accepted ones, in some cases, gamers simply “escape” to the virtual world, which alarms other people living in reality. It is believed in society that the greatest harm from gaming occurs when people are involved in online casinos and other types of gambling.

Gambling is a major problem among gamblers

Not everyone who plays games is a gambler

Many people have tried to play some kind of game at least once in their lives, for example, cards on the train - also a game of chance, most often for money. However, not all people who enjoy gaming from time to time are gambling addicts.

A gamer does not mean a gamer. Those whose hobby does not become uncontrollable cannot be called gambling addicts. If computer games are not a person’s only hobby, then it is difficult to talk about pathological changes or disorder.

Gambling addiction or gambling is particularly common when a person is literally obsessed and strives to constantly be in the gaming process. His behavior and reactions undergo changes not for the better, and the hobby itself becomes an addiction (dependence or addiction).

Why games are usually good

According to the same VTsIOM survey mentioned above, some respondents noted the positive impact of games on a person, among them:

1. Development of logical thinking (10%);
2. Increased attentiveness (4%);
3. Increased reaction speed (6%);
4. Reduced stress levels (8%).

Experts, in cases of normal, not excessive interest in games, note that games of various types have a positive effect on a person and his condition. All people from childhood begin to experience life through gameplay - and this is a completely normal phenomenon. The gameplay can interest even a small person in learning and memorizing. Experts also identify a number of factors that positively affect a person during games:

1. Games help fight accumulated stress. During the game, the happiness hormone is produced and the release of dopamine is activated;
2. Stimulate active brain function. Some logic games, puzzles, and especially chess develop both hemispheres of the brain, improve concentration, strategic thinking and allow you to learn faster;
3. Playing games together helps develop teamwork skills, team building, and improved relationships with other people.

In addition, in addition to the factors mentioned above, gaming in the 21st century allows you to process visual information faster and more efficiently, develop motor functions and increase mental flexibility.

Modern computer games are part of culture and art

Svetlana Kovalenko

Psychologist, clinical psychologist

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My appeal is more relevant to parents whose children are enthusiastic and spend time playing on the computer with great interest. Today, games are not meaningless plots, they are real stories that are in no way inferior to the books that we read as children. Modern video games carry many correct and moral messages. If your child is passionate about it and enjoys it, this does not mean that he or she is developing a gambling addiction. Try to find out what he plays, what the plot of this or that game is about, try to support his interests. Nowadays games have a lot of cultural and social meaning.

Mechanisms of development of gambling addiction

Like any addiction, gambling addiction has certain development mechanisms. What is important is the combination of a person’s personal characteristics, which, interacting with certain environmental factors, can cause gambling addiction.

Personal character traits (anxiety, impulsiveness, risk-taking, etc.) determine whether a person gets hooked on a particular gambling game. Wins alternating with losses encourage a person to play round after round in the hope of hitting a big jackpot.

If a person has certain problems in the family, in relationships with his boss, or work colleagues, then these environmental factors increase the desire for gambling, forcing the person to move away from familiar reality into the world of computer (and not only computer!) games.

In the mechanism of development of gambling addiction, or gambling addiction, the motive that guides each player plays an important role.

Most often, gambling addiction is based on one of the motives.

1. The desire to dominate, to prove one's superiority over other people, the need to take risks. With the development of gambling addiction through this mechanism, among the personal characteristics of an individual one can find low self-esteem, difficulties in accepting criticism, a tendency to depressive disorders and suicidal tendencies.
2. The desire to escape from the surrounding reality. Personal sensitivity (increased emotional sensitivity), resentment, mental infantilism, immaturity and superficiality of judgment play an important role in the development of gambling addiction through this mechanism.

Causes of gambling addiction among children and adolescents

Often parents themselves become a source of addiction for children and adolescents.

1. If they set an example by spending too much time on the computer and game console, they do not pay attention to the child and do not teach him to organize his own time.

2. Trying to “get rid” of the child: in order for him not to get in the way and not interfere, they themselves give him a phone, a tablet with “useful” programs downloaded into them. Many people do this from the age of one, and are even proud of the fact that “my child understands these technologies better than me,” but in the child’s fragile brain, excessive digitalization produces a bomb effect. He does not learn to live in the real world, does not notice its beauty and complexity, and has difficulty communicating with other people.

You can talk about gaming addiction in teenagers when you notice that they are losing interest in all areas of life: their academic performance is declining, their relationships with peers and teachers are deteriorating.

Symptoms of teenage gambling addiction include:

• aggressive protests to requests to leave the computer;
• anger and irritation when you still have to take a break from the gameplay;
• demanding money for game updates, improvements, for a more powerful computer/console;
• inability to determine and control time for hobbies;
• violation of sleep and rest patterns: the child does not sleep all night while playing;
• violation of eating habits: does not eat with the family at the table, eats sandwiches, chips, and other unhealthy “fast” food during the game;
• neglects hygiene;
• the mood improves only during the game, if you have to spend time with your family, demonstrates irritation and dissatisfaction;
• all his “friends” are interested in the same thing as him; he cannot or does not want to communicate with peers who do not play computers;
• neglect of household duties, studies, sports training.

Stages of development of gambling addiction

Gambling addiction does not develop immediately, but gradually, passing through certain stages and slowly but inexorably capturing a person in its vicious circle. There are several classifications of the stages of development of gambling addiction.

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5-stage classification

The most widespread classification is that distinguishes 5 stages of the course of gambling addiction, characterized by certain clinical manifestations.

Preparatory stage

This stage is characterized by the emergence of susceptibility to gambling. It is at this stage that the interaction of personality traits with environmental factors occurs. Depressive background mood and difficulties in relationships in the work team, desire for risk and rejection of critical comments from the boss, increased anxiety and difficulties in the family...

The synthesis of predisposing personal characteristics and environmental factors leads to a person’s desire to play. This is how the destructive process of developing gambling addiction begins.

Win stage

A person who starts playing, as a rule, expects a series of small wins. Having felt the taste of success, he is even more psychologically drawn into the game. A feeling of one’s own power appears, low self-esteem no longer looks so sad and increases somewhat, and the desire to play further and hit the big jackpot only intensifies, reinforced by a series of small wins.

At this stage, a person does not yet feel the painful feeling of being trapped, of escaping reality into the ghostly and illusory world of gambling addiction.

Losing stage

Every win is followed by a loss. At this stage, the person is already so involved in the game that a vicious circle is formed: the person bets his last money, loses it, goes into debt in the hope of winning back, but loses, and the cycle repeats itself.

The game becomes the center and focus of a gamer’s life. Family and work cease to occupy a great importance in the mind of the individual and recede into the background. A person begins to play more and more often and spend more and more of his time on the game.

For the sake of a game, a person is capable of resorting to lies even to those closest to him. Changes also occur in the emotional-volitional sphere of the psyche: irritability, fatigue, resentment appear and increase, and night sleep disturbances are possible.

At this stage, a person understands his dependence on the game and often tries to stop playing by force of will. However, all attempts are in vain, and when a strong, irresistible desire to play arises, he again rushes into the abyss of gaming madness.

Stage of disappointment and despair

At this stage, a person loses social connections with family, friends, and colleagues. He spends all his free time on the game, almost completely estranged from the real world. Emotional breakdowns, feelings of despair and hopelessness are common, and suicidal thoughts are possible.

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Realizing his dependence on the game, a person continues to bet money in the hope of a big win, which, in his opinion, will return him to society again and help solve all his problems. At this stage, alcohol dependence often develops.

Hopelessness Stage

At this stage, the ignomaniac loses hope of winning anything at all, but continues his gaming activity without any clear goal.

Going through all 5 stages of development of gambling addiction takes on average from 1.5 to 3 years. In some cases, it is possible to shorten or, conversely, lengthen the required time for the formation of gambling addiction.

Clinical case

While on duty in the emergency department of a regional psychiatric hospital, I had to admit a young man suffering from gambling addiction. Having accidentally stumbled upon an advertisement for an online casino on the Internet, he decided to try his luck. A series of small wins inspired him, giving him confidence in his own abilities. Hoping to get a big win, the man began to place increasingly larger bets and spend more and more time on the game. However, the series of wins was followed by a series of large losses.

In an attempt to get even, the man quit his job, lost contact with friends, and moved away from friends. Getting into debt, he spent everything on the game, but there was still no coveted winnings. Depression increased and suicidal thoughts appeared. A simple game turned into madness, into a terrible nightmare.

An innocent desire to play, just to try - and after a short time it is already a strong addiction with a confusion of priorities and values, a real igromania, and in the end - game over! The emergence of a number of mental symptoms, which only a competent specialist can cope with. The man was hospitalized in the first attack department...

Kekelidze-Shemchuk classification

In addition to this classification, there is also the Kekelidze-Shemchuk classification, according to which the formation of gambling addiction goes through 4 stages.

1. Preclinical stage – personality changes are of a faded, implicit nature. At this stage, a person can get rid of the need to play with the help of simple logical reasoning and proper prioritization.
2. The stage of clinical changes is the emergence of mental dependence, obsessive thoughts about the game and search behavior (the desire to play at every opportunity).
3. The stage of clinical dependence is changes in the emotional-volitional sphere of the psyche (impoverishment of emotions, callousness, rigidity, indifference towards relatives), deep mental dependence on the game.
4. The stage of structural changes in the personality - the emotional component of the psyche is even more flattened, there is a loss of rational thinking in favor of magical, symbolic thinking. A person begins to notice “symbols”, “signs”, on the basis of which he draws conclusions whether the game will be successful or not. The gambling addict becomes indifferent to the world around him. Vivid emotions can only be evoked by a game, which becomes the heart of all existence.

What you should pay attention to?

Main features:

• the individual has constant thoughts about the game. He can't talk about anything other than planning a strategy, thinking about where to get money to make up for a previous loss;
• During the game process, a person experiences a strong emotional upsurge. He wants to move on to more difficult levels all the time, to achieve an increase in rates;
• stopping the game due to a power outage, limiting the bet, leads to feelings of irritation, anger and anxiety;
• a person forgets about his problems, regularly returning to the game, not paying attention to what is happening around him;
• with the help of a game a person wants to get rid of loneliness and drown out the feeling of guilt;
• every possible attempt is made just to win or win back;
• a person is engaged in deceiving loved ones and a psychologist, just to continue playing;
• he can take sick leave, commit thefts, spend all the accumulated money on a more powerful computer, bet in a casino;
• a gambling addict is not afraid of losing his career, destroying his family, losing friends, the respect of the team;
• a person constantly borrows money to recoup, takes loans without thinking about how he will pay back

What signs indicate gambling addiction

The following changes in his psyche and behavior can indicate a person’s passion for gaming, reaching the point of illness:

• increased fatigue, irritability, flattening of emotions;
• the desire to “see signs”, a tendency to symbolic thinking;
• night sleep disturbances;
• Depressive symptoms and expression of thoughts about the hopelessness and meaninglessness of life;
• weakening and loss of social contacts, distance from friends and relatives;
• a large number of debts that a person does not want to repay;
• changing values ​​and priorities.

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If these signs occur, you should immediately seek help from a specialist!

Features of computer games

Computer games of the latest generation are very different from everything that came before and from other games, for example, gambling, in that they are built in such a way that a person looks at the virtual space through the eyes of the hero and identifies as much as possible with the character. This allows a person to lose touch with reality and completely immerse himself in an illusory world. For the addict, this becomes a trap.

The game allows a person to do everything and a little more: to die and come back to life, to fly, to kill, to love beautiful drawn women and men, but in reality, for some reason, you cannot pause the conflict, replay the problem, return to the beginning, or use a cheating technique to solve a difficult situation.

Thus, according to psychologist M. S. Ivanov, role-playing games pose the greatest danger, since the mechanics of the game itself consist of a person “entering” the game, merging with the computer, losing individuality and identifying oneself with a computer character.

Ivanov identifies the criteria for especially harmful games: the strength of immersion (how well-developed the game universe is) and the absence of an element of excitement or its insignificance for completing the game. In other words, a person simply “lives” in the game, not trying to win anything or defeat anyone, and this virtual reality completely replaces the real one for him.

Note! Addicted gamers need psychological therapy; their problems are an undeveloped personal life, dissatisfaction with themselves, loss of the meaning of life and ordinary human values. Statistics indicate that they are subject to serious psychological difficulties: reduced emotional background; low activity; increased levels of anxiety and stress; social maladjustment.

Does gambling addiction require confirmation of diagnosis?

Since gambling addiction is a serious progressive mental illness and has its own niche in the International Classification of Diseases (category F63.0), then, like any other disease, it requires its own diagnostic confirmation.

To diagnose gambling addiction, psychiatrists use a number of questionnaires and diagnostic scales to confirm the diagnosis.

Among them:

• false bet scale;
• Massachusetts Gambling Questionnaire;
• Sullivan questionnaire;
• Canadian Adolescent Questionnaire, etc.

Prevention of gaming addiction

Like any other disease, computer game addiction is easier to prevent than to treat:

1. Increase your self-esteem.
2. Learn to work with stress and negative emotions.
3. Notice your needs and meet them in a healthy way.
4. Lead a healthy lifestyle - it reduces stress levels.
5. Learn self-organization skills.
6. Rest on time, do not bring your psyche to exhaustion.
7. Do not neglect family communication and friendship.

Approaches to treating gambling addiction

Treatment of gambling addiction is a complex and long-term process aimed at developing correct personal attitudes and correcting existing disorders. Treatment of gambling addiction is the responsibility of addictionologists - specialists in the field of various types of addictions.

Psychotherapy plays a major role in the treatment of gambling addiction. There is a four-step system for treating gambling addiction , which explains how to get rid of gambling addiction through the joint work of the doctor and the patient and includes various psychotherapeutic techniques.

• The 1st stage is aimed at identifying the patient’s problems, the joint work of the doctor, the patient and his relatives.
• The 2nd stage includes medical and social rehabilitation and is aimed at overcoming mental dependence on the game.
• The 3rd stage - socio-psychological rehabilitation - is aimed at the formation of rational models of behavior, the solution of accumulated social problems and the formation of the ability to refuse gambling.
• Stage 4 includes a set of measures aimed at preventing relapse of the disease.

To correct existing disorders, various groups of pharmacological drugs are used:

• for low mood - antidepressants;
• for sleep disorders - selection of an individual dose of sleeping pills;
• for irritability - mood stabilizers, etc.

What is gambling addiction and how to treat it?

Gambling addiction is a kind of addiction, a harmful hobby, an excessive craving for the game process.
In the modern world, gambling addiction is a common disorder. Experts warn that it should not be considered a real disease of the 21st century. It is important to note that this type of addiction became known much earlier, but no one understood how to deal with it. Psychiatric science at that time was poorly developed. Few people studied psychology in those days. It should be mentioned that all people are susceptible to it, regardless of age and social status. It cannot be said that only representatives of a prosperous society suffer from gambling addiction. Gaming addiction develops from a fairly harmless hobby for games. There are computer, network and gambling entertainments. You can note the difference from most addictions: drug addiction, alcoholism, smoking. If a person is passionate about various games, his physical health will not suffer. We can only talk about problems with the emotional sphere. This is why gambling addiction is often compared to mental illness. The main difficulty of this phenomenon is that it cannot be immediately identified. There are no problems at the level of the somatic nervous system.

If you need a consultation with a hypnologist to treat gambling addiction, you can use the registration form at this link.

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How can gambling addiction end?

Consecutive changes in the clinical stages of gambling addiction cause certain changes in the psyche and behavior of a person. The symptoms of the depressive spectrum increase, the emotional component becomes flattened, the sleep-wake cycle is disrupted, and suicidal thoughts arise. Mental disorders also entail changes in the somatic state of the gambler - the function of the immune system decreases, chronic diseases form and worsen.

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Gambling addiction is a serious progressive mental illness that requires treatment from a specialist! Willpower alone is not enough to overcome gambling addiction!

Consequences of computer addiction

Gambling addiction negatively affects all aspects of a person’s life:

• Sleep and rest patterns suffer.
• Eating habits change: the patient eats fast food so as not to be distracted from the game.
• Relationships with loved ones suffer.
• Work and educational processes are disrupted.
• The range of interests is limited.
• The character deteriorates, the patient becomes irritable and aggressive.
• Financial problems may arise due to unrestrained spending on upgrading your computer, purchasing the latest game console, various gadgets and programs.

Important According to neurologist Baroness Susan Greenfield, games are the cause of dementia, since modern means of entertainment lead to increased excitability of the nervous system. Over time, a person gets used to this condition, dependence occurs, and as a result, the risk of developing dementia increases.

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Is my child addicted or not? How to Know When to Worry

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether a child is just playing enthusiastically or is already addicted and cannot stop. In this case, you need to watch him for some time.

It is important to pay attention to the following points:

Mood

A child with addiction is often irritable, angry, and has poor control over his emotions, especially when it comes to computer games. However, he quickly calms down when given the opportunity to play. Here it is important to clarify that anger at a mother who snatched a gadget out of her hands is a natural reaction for a healthy teenager . The immature psyche works slowly, therefore, in order to avoid conflict and prepare the child for the end of the game, warn him in advance that time is coming to an end (“5 minutes left”). If after this time the child parted with the toy calmly enough, there is no problem.

Time in game

Gamers often simply cannot limit themselves to this pleasure. They are ready to give up food in favor of playing, go to bed poorly, and skip classes to sit at the computer or gadget. It happens that parents themselves provoke such a situation, initially denying their child the right to play. If the daily schedule has a clear time allotted for entertainment, the child is less worried about the game, he knows for sure that he will get what he wants on time and no one will punish him.

Financial expenses

The child begins to insist on the need to invest money in the game, in improving the technical characteristics of the phone or computer. He doesn't have enough pocket money. Theft from home is possible.

Communication with peers

The interests of a dependent child are greatly narrowed. With friends, all conversations ultimately come down to games. The gambler begins to reduce the number of walks with friends, under various pretexts being left alone with the game.

If your child is easily distracted from the game, calmly parts with the gadget, leads an active social life, and has no problems sleeping - everything is fine. Games are entertainment, one of thousands of possible ones. And it is unreasonable to scold a child for wanting to entertain himself.

Lights and sounds entice you

But there's more to gambling than just winning and losing. It's an entire environment with lots of flashing lights and sounds to immerse players in it. This is evident in a busy casino, but even smartphone gambling includes plenty of audio and video special effects to keep your attention.

Are these just “bells and whistles”? Research shows that these lights and sounds become more attractive and can create additional motivation to play when they are associated with an uncertain reward. In particular, win-related cues, such as chimes that vary in length and volume depending on the size of the prize at stake, increase the thrill that leads players to overestimate how often they win. The most important thing is that these audio and video special effects keep you gambling longer and encourage you to play faster.

Is it possible to divide games into dangerous and non-dangerous?

In fact, it is impossible to name specific game genres that are 100% addictive. Any game made with sufficient quality, thought out, and color can attract a child’s attention and make him return to the screen again and again.

Unfortunately, game developers are forced to create attractive worlds with secret levels, interesting plots, and bonus systems, otherwise people will stop buying their products. And not all players become addicted.

If you consider the applications individually, you can find for each a set of key skills necessary for successful completion.

At the moment there are many classifications of games. We will consider one of the simplest, directly related to psychological aspects. Games are divided into six genres:

Actions

Aimed at the player's physical skills, success depends on reaction speed, good coordination of vision and motor skills. For these games, the characteristics of the computer or phone on which they are installed are very important, since human actions depend on the quality of drawing details.

A typical task for a player in this genre is to collect all the necessary items, defeat all the “monsters,” and find a way out of the location. Some games involve active teamwork. All this develops the ability to quickly make decisions, think strategically, calculate moves in advance, and also allows you to shed excess aggression. However, at the same time, action games are easily addictive and cause rapid fatigue of the nervous system. It is advisable to limit the time spent in such games in order to give the psyche a chance to rest and the body to stretch not only its fingers.

Simulator

An excellent opportunity for a child to try himself in different situations. For example, there you can manage an airplane or your own restaurant. The main thing to remember here is that the simulator does not provide a 100% representation of reality, but only shows part of life.

Strategies

Games that require high-quality thought processes. As a rule, the player is offered the role of the leader of a state, company or group, and a certain goal to which he must lead the people entrusted to him.

Periodic fascination with this genre develops strategic thinking, the ability to see a situation broadly and from different points of view, make ambiguous decisions, and think for the future. Here breaks are necessary to give the brain a break, otherwise the likelihood of making a mistake increases.

Role-playing games

They give the teenager the opportunity to become someone else. Not “the humble boy Petya,” but “the last descendant of the king of the elves,” for example. A very popular genre among children, especially those who are unsure of themselves.

These games, by the way, are found not only in the virtual world, but also in the real one. People dress up as their favorite characters and gather at various games and festivals to live a more colorful and unusual life.

If you notice that your child has begun to become heavily immersed in role-playing games, look at how eventful his real life is. Perhaps he lacks strong positive impressions. Since each character in the game has a different set of special characteristics, pay attention to what features your child chooses. Help him develop these qualities in real life.

Adventures (quest)

A light genre where the player, in the form of a character, goes through a certain journey, overcomes obstacles, and solves problems. Very often, such games are based on the plots of books and films. Reaction speed and strategic thinking are not important here - observation and logic are much more important. The player is offered puzzles, solving which he gets the opportunity to move on. These games can be played by the whole family. They are fun and useful. The main thing is to take a break on time.

Puzzles

Games without a special plot. The levels are built on the same rules and consist of solving logical problems with a gradual increase in complexity. The player requires concentration, logical thinking, a little strategy and intuition. In moderate doses, puzzles help develop a child's mental abilities.

Thus, there are no absolutely bad or absolutely good games - everything is good in moderation and on time. The main rule for both children and adults is to play for fun and at a strictly designated time. The risk of addiction is greatly reduced if a person leads an active, busy life, and the game acts as a pleasant seasoning to it.

The Near-Hit Effect and Chasing Loss

The advent of electronic slot machines also means that, rather than being limited by the mechanical arrangement of icons on each reel, game designers and programmers can stack the deck on the virtual reels so that some events occur more often than others.

This includes near-hits, where one of the reels stops just short of bringing one icon one position before lining up the icons on a winning line. These near-wins engage areas of the brain that normally respond to winnings, thereby increasing the desire to play more, especially in passionate gamblers.

This phenomenon is not limited to slot machines and casinos. Such near-victories are an integral part of smartphone games, such as the popular game “Candy Crush.”

Almost-victories are more exciting than losses - although logically speaking, they should be more disappointing and less pleasant than a distant miss. But the most important thing is that almost a victory evokes a stronger desire to play than even the victory itself! Near misses seem to be very motivating and increase the player's commitment to the game, resulting in people playing longer than they intended. The size of the dopamine response to a near miss correlates with the severity of an individual's gambling addiction.