Handheld Games: Bad Habit or Addiction

We live in a time where virtually everyone has played some game on a handheld device.  I am sure very few people believe that sometimes children, and yes even adults, play more than is wise.  Some disturbing truths about this relative new phenomenon need to be discussed.  I believe the trouble begins with the formation of habits.  Humans rely on good habits like teeth brushing and seat-belt use to ensure health and safety.  We suffer through bad habits like eating the whole bag of potato chips without thinking, or having a drink to relax instead of going for a walk.  So now what walks in our life is a device that has a number of positive uses, but also a number of negative uses.  Notice now that people will pull out their device when idle for just a brief moment or two.  This has become an automatic habit. Any habit it has varying degrees of strength.  How often and how intense the habit has become is the issue.   So a simple experiment to see how bad the habit may be is to remove the battery from the handheld device in the morning.  Then carry the device around all day.  Notice how often you pick it up and try to use it.  Even though you should remember that it won’t work you will most likely automatically try to use it.  If you can’t even make it throughout the day without putting the battery back in you may be beyond habit and into addiction.  Just remember how overweight would you be if you walk around with your favorite food with you all day, every day.  If you think the habit is too much for you or a member of your family you may need to ask for help.  It is said that a fun and useful tool can bring with it something that can be so negative to our well-being.