Behavioral Issues in Competitive gamers

    



Behavioral issues regarding the Competitive nature of gamers

    Hey Everyone, as I have mentioned about the issues and solutions regarding the physical issues of competitive gaming, I was really interested in the mental issues and behavioral issues that come with being a competitive player. Most of us at some point have gotten to experience a lot of behavioral issues whether you were mad that something happened to you or having had someone bother you all day. I have experienced this type of behavior before and not through interactions with people in person but with people online.


You may ask the question, why get angry at someone you haven’t met in person or not really involved with your life? Well for me it really isn’t about their involvement in my life or someone that I know but rather that being a person who is competitive by nature, seeing or listening to someone who may not seem skilled or good can be frustrating to watch. For some people it can be the same in the sense that you, who is trying to teach a certain subject to someone, doesn't get it even as you try so hard for them to understand, can get you frustrated. So, with competitive level players, this can be an issue as it can have them have “significantly higher heart rates, competitive games produce greater levels of aggressive behavior,” and in my opinion, the possibility of mental anguish. 



Then, the best possible course of action would be to play less competitive games, right? An article states that, “Playing video games for a long time in daily life causes social, emotional, and mental problems such as depression and aggression.”(Palanichamy et al., 2020) It really doesn’t matter what types of games we play but rather for how long. Each person feels that they need to play a lot of hours as it is enjoyable but also addictive. This applies to people who play for fun but for competitive level players who are at such a high level. They need to play double or even triple the amount of time that average players play to keep their skill level at the top of their game. Which shows how bad these competitive players can injure themselves mentally, having to constantly be at their full potential and needing to constantly play for hours on end can only lead to “burnout, depression, anxiety, addiction, and aggression due to various stressors such as the pressure to possess outstanding mental and performance skills, and excessive gaming.” (Palanichamy et al., 2020)



So, how can we resolve this issue? Well the solutions to these issues or even things that I have done myself that helps tremendously in keeping myself and competitive players feel less burnout, depressed, and even aggressive is simple. Prioritize having mentors, coaches, and health therapists that can properly diagnose you and your mental state. Just like how athletes in basketball, baseball, tennis, and etc, all need coaches and mentors that can facilitate their mindset and thoughts towards the game. While this applies to competitive players who can use these resources of coaches and mentors, for people who are not rich or want to work on it themselves. The best way is to take time out of your day, to take breaks from games and enjoy spending time with friends and family, etc, which really refreshes your mind and resets your mental fatigue. Not only taking breaks but properly setting specific times to sleep, having good nutrition, and focusing on personal hygiene. All of these tips can really help destress competitive level players and even yourself.



Citation:

  1. American Psychological Association. (2011, August 29). Playing highly competitive video games may lead to aggressive behavior [Press release]. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/08/video-games

  2. DiFrancisco-Donoghue J, Balentine J, Schmidt G, et alManaging the health of the eSport athlete: an integrated health management modelBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2019;5:e000467. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000467

  3. Palanichamy T, Sharma MK, Sahu M, Kanchana DM. Influence of Esports on stress: A systematic review. Ind Psychiatry J. 2020 Jul-Dec;29(2):191-199. doi: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_195_20. Epub 2021 Mar 15. PMID: 34158701; PMCID: PMC8188925.


Comments

  1. EvelynMarch 31, 2023 at 11:51 PM

    Hi Benjamin,
    I don't really know a lot about playing games and gaming but when it comes to behavioral issues I understand because I know many people who play games and get mad when they lose a game or they die. For example when my son plays his video games he get mad and rages when he dies but now we are teaching him to calm down more if he dies or loses the game.

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