Dhaka — The young children in Bangladesh are getting addicted to online games amid pandemics while educational institutions remained shut to contain the virus.
Talking to some parents it was known that, this addiction is becoming an obstacle for the development of children in intellect and mind. As a result, parents are becoming powerless, disturbance hits the family life.
Experts said children must be inaccessible from this addiction to online games.
Numerous children and teenagers from home and abroad have lost their lives in online games. Recently, a teenager was intoxicated with a mobile phone game while sitting on the railway line in Lalpur, Natore.
A significant number of children and adolescents in the country are now addicted to online games like PUBG, Free-Fire, Clash of Clan, Call of Duty, Combat Strike Go, etc.
Mahmudul Haque Mahi, a 10th class student of Dhaka Government Boys' School, said: “Even though I stopped playing online games at the request of my parents. Gaming is like addiction to me,”
School is shut, nothing to do at home, he added. Shihab, a ninth-grade student at the same school, received a scholarship to the fifth grade. After being addicted to online games for two years, he remains online four to five hours a day.
Tasnuva Rahman, a teacher at a private university, said, “I am worried about the future of my son Tauki, who is addicted to mobile games, even though he has somehow passed the secondary level.”
To play these games, you need to sign in with your Google account or Facebook ID. In addition to the internet connection, you have to spend money to go to the Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Heroic, and Grandmaster level of the game and buy various items including top-up.
While all the educational institutions closed, children are becoming accustomed to online games in a closed environment at home. The parents of the addicted children are helpless.
IT specialist Mahmudur Rahman at Education Ministry said: “Out of curiosity, children started playing online games, which at one time became addictive.”
Addicted children forget to eat, drink and study and get drunk in games. These children cannot adapt to the surrounding situation. Negative effects encounter in education, family life, social life. Isolated from all stages, he added.
Masood Rana Sarkar, the Pabna mental hospital psychiatrist, said: “mobile games act as a catalyst for multiple psychological problems. Almost all these children come for treatment.”
Dr. Anwarul Haque Sufi, Department of Psychology professor at University of Rajshahi (RU), said: “Parents should be active so that children do not get involved in this world of drugs, they should keep an eye on them, they should be given time.”
Abdul Khaleq, an associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University said that children's eyes are being damaged by playing games by staring at mobile phones or computer screens in the same way. Decreased eye fluid, corneal problems, decreased vision.
Our children to be harmed if we do not take effective steps in this regard at the policy-making level of the society and the state, he added.
Zunaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister for Information and Communication Technology, said there is some software that can block online games or any program on different devices depending on the age.
“Our ministry is advising parents in this regard. Parents should use some software on the devices their children use. We must protect the children of our country from the addiction to online games.”
