About a dozen young people are parked inside a video Game center in a shanty community of Mamobi not far from the central business district of Ghana’s Accra.
They are playing all manner of games and some even place bets on them. Some here are as young as 13.
There are over 500 of such centers scattered across Ghana, according to the Gaming commission of Ghana but many of them are illegally operating.
Playing video games is a phenomenon that is fast catching up with many young people and in Africa the craze is significant but the health implication for those addicted is emerging.
The World Health Organization has warned of health implications for those addicted to these games.
In a recent publication WHO said that becoming addicted to video games and prioritizing it ahead of regular human activity could affect the mental health of people.
Awal Mohammed is 27 years and has had his sight damaged badly by his addiction to video games and not just that but psychological as he shares his story.
He told Africa Feeds that “When you don’t play the game you feel like something very huge is taken from you, just like you addicted to lipton, when you don’t take lipton you feel like one side of my head is aching or something like that, that’s my feeling. Before 2016, I didn’t know I had an Eye problem, upon several investigations I was given glasses to protect my eye from my computer screen and the screens of television when I am playing games.”
Another video game addict, 25 year old Mawuena Egbeta hardly eats while playing his games. He now has tearing eyes as a result of and shared his story.
“You don’t eat, because you are soo much into the game, and your eye, sometimes you play games, then your eyes begin to tear, because I have been seated, behind the machine for close to six hours and you don’t get up you don’t do anything, you are just playing, you don’t eat and your eye is tearing and all of that,” Egbeta said.
Officials of the gaming commission in Ghana have said that thousands of young people are becoming addicted to playing games. Although it doesn’t have statistics on those suffering from health effect, it is worried about the emerging health threats to these young people.
A campaign has been launched to clamp down on gaming centers opening up for young people. The public affairs manager for the commission, Beatrice Baiden said sensitization is taking place to protect young people as the first approach.
“We are working with the national commission on civic education, to roll out a public sensitization campaign targeted especially at children, so that we educate them, on what the rule says about gaming, and some of the effects of gaming on their health as at now,” Baiden told Africa Feeds.
A mental health activist in Ghana, Daniel Lartey who is against excessive playing of video games in Ghana said a change in attitude is key in controlling the trend.
Lartey said “It’s very important for people who are addicted to games to know that it could affect them, here in Ghana it is even more serious when people would have to abandon food just to play games. You see people play games walking on the roadsides, they might not conscious of even oncoming vehicle, it has to do with the gratification they get in this but of course it mustn’t affect their health.”
Two teenagers who spoke to Africa Feeds said they are willing to let go playing video games after hearing of the potential health impact on them. But they said that won’t be easy.
Baba Seidu said “if doctor advises I will stop it, I will stop playing, but it won’t be easy, but I will stop it. I will try and stop it.”
For Kwame Barfi he will “stop playing it because the doctor tells me and he knows what benefit I get from it, because if it would hurt my feelings or any other thing so I will stop. I will stop and get other thing to do.”
It is clear, that health experts and campaigners against excessive playing of video games have a major task to reach out to the thousands of young people glued to their games daily. But the conversation has now started and should catch up sooner or later.
Source: Africafeeds.com
