TIRUCHY: With a statewide survey revealing that 85% of students play online games and that nearly one in four (23%) suffer emotional distress, including anger issues, linked to gaming, mental health experts in Tiruchy on Friday urged the state school education department to appoint a full-time psychologist in every school instead of entrusting teachers with the task.
Pointing to the survey conducted by the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA) last year, Dr MC Sarangan, full-time member of the authority, said gaming in moderation can sharpen skills but excess of it can derail a young person’s future.
“Healthy gaming can improve reflexes, decision-making and teamwork but the moment it turns into compulsion, it begins to eat into study time, sleep and social life. We want students to enjoy technology without becoming enslaved to it.
Our aim is not to ban fun but to protect young minds from the trap of addiction,” Dr Sarangan told the gathering during the fourth state-level awareness programme on online gaming addiction organised by the TNOGA in Tiruchy.
TNOGA’s survey conducted last year covered over 1.47 lakh students and 17,500 teachers across the state. Dr V Venkatesh Madhankumar, psychiatrist, said, “Every school should have a trained mental health professional who can identify early signs of gaming addiction and guide students towards healthier habits.
We have already proposed to the education department the appointment of such trained individuals.” Friday’s interactive session with hundreds of students and parents, and police officials, further shared how even legal real-money games often fuel mobile addiction, with some citing family members spending hours together on end on their phones while some others recounted instances where online rummy led to debt and distress.
The event, held under the leadership of District Collector V Saravanan, also saw Tiruchy Zonal IG K Joshi Nirmal Kumar and City Commissioner of Police G Kamini in attendance.