Dissociated from the world of reality

Obsession and addiction loosely refer to similar meaning. But when it comes to psychology, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and addiction widely differ from each other. OCD is an anxiety disorder produced by intrusive thoughts -ones that produce uneasiness, fear, apprehension and worry. The victim tries to minimise the anxiety through repetitive behaviour. Addiction, on the other hand, is to be dependent on some substance in order to get rid of frustration but actually falling in the trap of even getting more dependent.

Then, of course, there are passions for something. One can either develop a habit of an orderly routine bordering on obsession or addiction. If a boy takes to stamp collection, it is a hobby but if the same boy watches cartoons on TV or play computer games, how the habit has to be categorised? Yes, gamers such as this are said to be addicted to the game, whatever the psychologists may call them. Computer or video games transport the gamers to a world of unreality and children are not even aware of the time when they have dissociated themselves from the real life which demands responsibility from every member of society.

Sure enough, the capital city of Dhaka could not be less child-friendly. What a military autocrat could think of in terms of providing children with some breathing spaces has all gone amiss on his successors one buy one. The man from the barrack released parks from illegal occupation in every locality of the city and various apparatus for children's games were installed. The parks had their boundary walls with iron gates so that cattle or goats could not enter those facilities.

What happened next is a story of a gradual decimation of a praiseworthy initiative. First the gates disappeared and then the apparatus with iron bars or flat sheets started disappearing one by one. Today, it will be difficult to have one local park with the  sport apparatus intact. Small children do not visit their local parks because all sets of apparatus for their amusement have vanished. Mercifully, the boundary walls are still there and where local councillors are active, the gates too are in their places. Even a few of those parks have been renovated although the small children do not feel inspired to go there, their elders play football or cricket there.

Yet it is just a fraction of children who are interested in outdoor games. Most students are burdened with studies and they have to literally run from one coaching centre to another or from one tutor to another. If they have any leisure time, they sit before computer to play games. Others visit video shops to play video games. It is this lack of physical movement or exercise that gradually makes children accustomed to game on the computer screen. For some the result is disastrous because they become obsessed and then addicted to such games. They neglect studies and are ill at ease in interpersonal relationship. It is a dangerous symptom. They become robotic and gradually lose the ability to respond to situational variations.

There is a mixture of obsessive and compulsive mindset that misses the wood for the tree. It is this isolation from reality that creates a sense of alienation and frustration in children, particularly in those whose parents cannot give them enough time or who are excessively burdened with studies. Schools are of no help because teachers are more interested in making money from private tuition than imparting lesson in an ideal manner so that s/he knows how to address the problem facing a particular boy or girl. Now the parents make demand on their wards so much that young ones lose their childhood with all its joys and funs unaware. What a tragedy! The elders have conspired to rob children of their childhood in a ruthless manner.