February 28, 2022 | 1 day till March

Ever loved a game, like old games (Super Mario, Pac-Man, other arcade games) or the new mobile/desktop games or even online games (Mobile Legends, Call of Duty, Roblox, etc.)? If yes, how's your screen time?

I, personally speaking, LOVE games, especially Mobile Legends, Among Us, and Roblox. I can play with my friends even they're far from me, and the games are enjoyable!

I'm a type of gamer who never or spend less in games and more on its gameplay, but the fact, games are super addicting, it somewhat affects my attitude, study habits, and risk of having eye problems, even paying for contents of the game rather than saving it.

But, how I met this games? When did my addiction start? What makes me use my phone less? Why I can't play more games? You'll find out.

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Without further ado, let's start the story...

How I Got Into the Gaming World

Back in 2014 (or 2015, I sort of lost the date), every pupils who had a gadget have games on it, no one can deny that. I always see them playing Tetris, Fruit Ninja, and Minecraft.

When I see them, it's so tempting to borrow their gadget to play, but I know that they won't allow it. So I'll keep on watching them, enjoying the games they play.

But after I got my first ever tablet, I'm so happy to be able to play games! And the first thing I tried, is Fruit Ninja and Doodle Jump (still remembered the game). And one word that kids say when they got amazed, WOW!

That first games I played (and others) is a real imagination world just at my fingertips.

But, you can't deny, between siblings and a gadget, they'll fight for it... And that fight, results to a very limited time to play, but as kids, we ignored it and continued it.

But as soon as karma hits, its the end of the fever. During a birthday party, my cousin checked our tablet's battery percentage to play, but after she placed it back, it fell, slammed directly to the wall and fell to the floor. And, the screen is busted. No more picture...

We are crying over the tablet we used to play with, but it is what it is.

Getting Too Close To the Gaming World

Few years later, my mother bought us new phones!

And, the first thing I had in mind... GAMES, pretty much all.

I downloaded the games we played before that we didn't finished yet, and new games as well. But, let's be honest, phones before, especially cheaper ones, don't have much storage. It can only handle 1GB internal storage, which leads us to, play few games and delete it after we finished it, or we are bored and wanna replace it with new ones.

Gaming Addiction Getting Closer

As soon as I got my own phone in a young age, everytime my parents see me when I don't have homeworks, I always staring at my phone playing games. And sometimes, I ignore them, from chores I could handle, to getting told to do homeworks.

And when the phone is dead, I go outside to play, then return back home when the phone is charged, with no rest at all...

Everytime we go on a trip, even when on a running vehicle, I still playing games.

There's even a time that I lied to my parents and took the phone to showoff in school. That day, I was not able to touch my phone.

After I was not able to touch my phone, I'm literally crying.

I don't longer talk to them, nor do my homeworks well, and even tried to find it.

And because my parents are basically annoyed by me, I was able to get it back, with some conditions, NEVER BRING IT TO SCHOOL.

So that's where I keep my phone I the house, but still stuck in gaming.

High School Life, Now Brings

Ah alas. New school, new uniform, new friends, and as well as a new phone (that I'm currently using till now)!

My parents allowed me to bring my phones any time, as long as I never play with it during classes.

But with new friends, they introduced me with a new game which they play and popular in Philippines, Mobile Legends. That's how I know the game.

So, I immediately downloaded it and check it out. And it was worth downloading (in that day).

The graphics, gameplay, everything. It's so amazing! A new world to play with!

But after playing with in a few minutes, because to many hours of screen time...

After homeworks, Mobile Legends.

After school, Mobile Legends.

Everytime I came to my cousin's (in Negros Oriental) house, Mobile Legends.

Every day, every night, I always pressed Mobile Legends after work. And played it until my phone's battery is at 10%.

With this addiction, not only my study habit got affected, it affects my attitude, my sleeping hours, and even, relationship between me and my sister.

I sleep in 10pm, because of playing. My attitude got worse, because I got this attitude to the bad community of the game. Relationship with my sister, almost got ruined because I don't take any commands from her, or even listen to her.

But, I don't care about it. I just care about this.

But, the pandemic came, this is where, the effects of addiction now showing its bad effects to me.

Pandemic Made My Addiction Far More Worse

In the pandemic, as staying at home is required, it was the way that the addiction I had ruins my life.

I heard a game of Arcaea, a 3D rhythm game (still playing it on my young sister's phone with permission), and it was way more fun. Not only it has various songs (free songs in this game are not many, most contents are paid), but it's offline too!

Now I got 2 games to play with!

Mobile Legends and Arcaea, then Roblox came in for a comeback after years of not able to play it, now it's 3.

I got games that can satisfy my everyday gaming life. But, it went, bad.

Effects of This Addiction In my Experience

6 months after the pandemic started, my eyes began to feel itchy, eyes are semi-red, and my mind thinks of these games still, even after playing it!

And I even mumble in "silent" every time I lost in the game, which makes my grandparents thinks I'm too addicted, and it has to go down, or stop it.

But, like before, ignoring what my grandparents said. Rude of me before.

Every week, my eyes became to hurt, until I got sore eyes, my mind now can't understand the lessons in my modules. This is getting worse, so, I stop, for 3 days instead of 2 weeks!

After my sore eyes is now gone, back to addiction, and I didn't even noticed it yet.

Over time, addiction getting worse, effects is now worse than ever.

I tried to stop after my parents know after my teacher told them that my grades are getting lower every quarter, but, I just can't! I can't!

I can't get rid of my addiction! Every time I tried to put my phone at the table and rest my eyes... My mind still wanted to play more!

I needed help, but how, if I can't get rid of this addiction on my own, and I wanted to?!?

My Phone Broke, Losing My Interest in Playing

On February 2020, my phone is acting weird...

While playing Chess on my phone, my phone began to "ghost touch"... I tried to wipe the screen if its just the residue, but, it still continues, so I restarted my phone.

But, I shouldn't do that. The middle part of the phone, now can't be controlled or touched. It won't register the touches I made only in the middle. I began to worry...

But, this will just go right?

Yup, it is, but came back, with more broken screen touches and ghost touch!

It began to "grow" to the bottom of the screen on unexpected times, ruining the phone experience I had.

Until, it was November 2020, now I can't control the bottom part of the screen...

It became more worse, as well as getting too much ghost touches...

I could use the upper part of the screen, but I think, I could only use the phone for anything except, gaming.

Could be this a key to getting out of my addiction...?

My Addiction, Getting, Lesser and Not Worse?

Starting from that day, I lose my interest in playing games more... I only use my phone for chatting, research, calls, and entertainment, even making some short stories if I'm bored.

And after I returned to Cebu to stay, I lose even more of my addiction, but still have love in games.

It just that I only watch YouTubers who play games, or I play using my sister's phones.

But overall, I don't see myself struck in staring my phone late night, or early...

I became more willing to learn in my subjects, and my attitude is back to its good side. I'm glad to see my change, by only having my phone broken...

That's just it? Broken phone to cure my addiction? LOL

Ending

Well, I'm glad to be back to my good self. I go out more often than playing games, watching TV less and screen time now more less too.

I only use it to talk with my online friends, or researching for an answer, or even making an article...

I'm just so glad I didn't carry the same addiction as I experienced before this 2022, and as a result, deleted my Mobile Legends and wait to repair my phone, and play other games with my sister's phone.

But if I'm able to play with my own device, I should think applying my lesson. Less screen time, or effects will strike.

But, I think I should stop playing Mobile Legends till I able to control myself when playing it again.

Still in change for better self.