Online gaming addiction: Understanding the new-age obsession

A deeply distressing incident in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, has reignited concerns about the mental health impacts of excessive online gaming among teenagers. On 4 February, 2026, three minor sisters, aged 12, 14,and 16, reportedly died by suicide after allegedly being addicted to an online mobile game.^[1] The incident, coming amid heightened awareness of youth mental health challenges, highlights a troubling connection between compulsive digital engagement and psychological distress in adolescents. While gaming itself is a popular pastime and social outlet for millions of young people, experts caution that problematic gaming and screen addiction can exacerbate emotional difficulties, interfere with daily life, and in rare but serious cases, contribute to self-harm.

This conversation is not new to India. In 2024, a 15-year-old boy in Pune died by suicide after days of gaming and leaving a note that read ‘log out’, drawing attention to the complex intersections of addiction, isolation, and mental health in the digital age.^[2] With online gaming now ubiquitous among youth, understanding its potential harms is critical for parents, educators, clinicians, and policymakers aiming to protect adolescent well-being.

Video games have become popular among children and adolescents because they are exciting. There is growing concern about the potential for video games to have negative mental health consequences. Gaming addiction, poor coping strategies, unhealthy lifestyles, loneliness and isolation, depression, and even suicide ideation are just some of the challenges. Further, after playing and learning about famous games they can create parameters to analyse various gaming experiences and concerns. In addition to the positive effects of these games, the subsequent behavioural disorders in children as a result of addiction to them have led to a lot of studies in recent years. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common abnormalities in childhood and is characterised by attention-deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Moreover, 60% of cases also occur in adulthood. Since impulsivity is one of the fundamental components of attention-deficit disorder, it is reported that there is probably a correlation between addiction to video games and ADHD symptoms.

The American Psychiatric Association recently included internet gaming disorder (IGD) as a potential diagnosis. It is defined as ‘persistent and recurrent use of the Internet to engage in games, often with other players, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress’. Despite its name, IGD does not require that individuals exhibit symptoms of addiction solely with online video games. Problematic use can occur in both offline and online settings, although reports of video game ‘addiction’ often involve online games such as massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Importantly, frequent video game play cannot, alone, serve as the basis for diagnosis. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5^th Edition, states that video game playing must cause ‘clinically significant impairment’ in the individual’s life. Indeed, studies have revealed that pathological video game use and high game play frequency are functionally distinct, although they are typically highly correlated.

Online gaming addiction, sometimes referred to in clinical discussions as IGD, is characterised by persistent, compulsive engagement in gaming despite negative consequences. Unlike casual gaming, problematic use can disrupt sleep, school performance, social relationships, and emotional health. ‘Gaming addiction has been recognised by the International Classification of Diseases (World Health Organization [WHO]) as a mental health issue which can be defined by compulsive and excessive gaming which affects the daily functioning, including school, family, social life, and even self-care for a prolonged period’.^[3] Peer-reviewed research in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023) has documented significant associations between addictive gaming patterns and increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours among adolescents. This large study of Chinese teenagers found that about 17% met criteria for internet gaming addiction, and those with such patterns were more likely to report suicidal ideation, particularly when negative emotions were also present.^[4]

Similarly, research tracking Taiwanese adolescents showed that internet addiction, including excessive gaming, was significantly linked to a higher risk of suicidal ideation and attempts, even after accounting for factors such as depression and self-esteem.^[5] A longitudinal study published in JAMA tracking over 4,000 teens found that compulsive, distress-driven screen use, including gaming, significantly raised the likelihood of suicidal behaviours, compared with peers showing low or controlled use patterns. These findings indicate that intensity and emotional drivers of gaming behaviour, rather than simple hours logged, are key risk factors for adverse mental health outcomes.^[6]