GADAG : A new wave of digital addiction is sweeping through the urban pockets of Gadag and surrounding districts, as children and teenagers between the ages of 10 and 25 fall deeper into the rabbit hole of interactive Korean online games. What begins as casual entertainment is rapidly escalating into a public health concern, with doctors now stepping in to raise awareness about the severe psychological and physical fallout.
Titles like PUBG, Free Fire, and the so-called ‘Lover Game’ have become household names, but their impact is proving detrimental to academic futures and mental stability.
Designed with algorithms to ensure heavy user engagement, these platforms are consuming hours of a student’s day, leading to a sharp decline in academic performance. Worried parents of SSLC and PUC students have begun lodging complaints with school authorities, noting that their children have become withdrawn, irritable, and increasingly isolated.
Local physicians report a surge in health issues directly linked to excessive screen time, including myopia, sleep disorders, and aggravated mobile addiction. However, the most alarming symptoms are psychological. Children are forming online groups to play simultaneously, often using virtual interactions with partners who assign tasks.
This intense immersion is blurring the lines between reality and the game, forcing many young players to self-quarantine in their rooms, where they chase the synthetic highs of happiness and surprise offered by the virtual world.
The ordeal faced by Rakesh Patil, a resident of Gadag, highlights the terrifying consequences of this trend. “My son was a brilliant student for the past eight years. Now that he is in the ninth standard, he is always on his mobile,” Patil recounted.
“He started having sleep disturbances and began screaming at night. When we consulted a doctor, we learned he is suffering from night terrors. He dreams he is the character in the online game and screams thinking he is completing the tasks given to him. The doctor has strictly advised us to keep the mobile away from him.”
Dr Jitendra Mugali, professor and head of the Department of Psychiatry at K H Patil Institute of Medical Sciences, said, “After a period of addiction, we see a rise in depression, anxiety, and parasomnias like sleep talking, sleep walking, and night terrors. Parents must stop using mobiles as pacifiers. They need to spend quality time with their children and guide them away from these digital traps.”