New-age online games affecting children, say experts

 Hyderabad: The proliferation of online games with irrational themes among tweens and teens has increased more quickly than in the past, especially during the Covid-19-induced lockdown period, which is having an impact on children' mentality and personality development, according to psychiatrists.

Under the guise of cooking, make-up, dress-up games, among others, women are unfavourably portrayed as persons in desperate need of money and a frantic need for makeover in order to prevent being deserted by their partners.

Paradoxically, these games are catered to children aged 12 and older whose brains are yet to develop completely, said psychiatrists. Games such as ‘Makeup Games’ and ’Guide to Breakup’ (for 12+) feature a boyfriend who cheated on his girlfriend in favour of a more attractive girl. ‘Cooking Dairy’ (for 12+) is another such game that portrays women negatively by having a pregnant woman be abandoned by her husband in favour of another attractive woman.

According to psychologist Dr Anita Are, this is teaching boys that it is acceptable to abandon a woman if she becomes pregnant or begins to put on weight. “Children between the ages of 12 and 18 begin to disrespect women,” she said.

According to a girl's mother, her daughter won't leave the house without makeup because she believes that it is the only thing that will make her appear attractive. Additionally, the girl's mother claimed that her daughter starves herself in order to seem appealing, much like the girls in the online games.

Interactive games such as "Chapters: Interactive stories’ for 17+ target audience tend to encourage criminal activity by posing questions like, "My lover is a mafia Boss. Should I help him commit crime or arrest him?  ‘Love fantasy: match and stories’ (for 17 +) is another game which tends to objectify women. The goal of the game is to change the girl's appearance from scruffy to neat in order to attract a partner.

"Children start acting in the same way when they are exposed to and addicted to such games. They try to copy characters from these games out of a lack of judgement. Once addicted to these games, vulnerable school children will be more focussed on their physical appearance and looks,” said Dr Virinchi Sharma, consulting psychiatrist.

Devashih Palkar, a psychiatrist, said he had treated several children who were addicted to such games, and that after getting addicted to these games children constantly think about these games, and lose focus in class.