THE SECRET OF CHARISMA

 

Charisma is an individual's ability to attract and influence other people. It is derived from a Greek word and it means "favor freely given" or "gift of grace". It is a compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others. If the person comes with a history of some outstanding achievements in life like Narayan Murthy, Sharmila Tagore, Sachin Tendulkar or Birju Maharaj, then he/she has already done the hard miles to achieve that charismatic halo, but for lesser mortals they have to strive to achieve it.

 

What makes people charismatic?

1. They are empathetic. They have the ability to connect and form relationships. Their Emotional Quotient (EQ) is very high.  Positive and negative empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and genuinely feel what they are feeling — either good or bad. The charismatic guys are genuinely good at this
2. They are humble. They don’t wave awards in people’s faces. They don’t name-drop for the sake of sounding important. They don’t toot their own horns. They don’t act like they’re above any person or situation. They behave normally as one of us.
3. They are vulnerable. They don’t seek approval from others and have no desire to come off as a perfectionist.  They are not afraid of putting themselves out there to risk embarrassment or judgment because they realize that those who do appear as perfect may actually be less likable.
4. They have a sense of humor. People who are enjoyable to be around genuinely have a great sense of humor. Plus, to tie back to our last point, humor is also connected to vulnerability.
5. They are present. They give you complete attention and are not distracted by phone calls and messages. This builds connection and improves likability.
6. They are genuinely interested in everyone. They have no pretentions. Charisma is not so much getting people to like you as getting people to like themselves when you’re around.
7. They avoid social narcissism.  A narcissist only talks about himself. A charismatic person never wants to talk about their stories, their problems, their successes, their complaints, their family and their friends.
8. They are generous and altruistic. Being generous and compassionate is a sign of someone who’s likeable. These guys don’t expect anything in return but will help you anyway if they can.
9. They reciprocate praise (and take the blame). When they’re recognized for a success, they shift the praise toward everyone else. They give praise and empower people without expecting anything in return. Conversely, they will be the first person to say “Sorry, my fault, I screwed up” and not blame the team.

So charisma can be cultivated…..right!

People often confuse charisma with physical attributes – beauty, tall, dark, handsome but truly all that and much more of that cannot make a person charismatic. This is not a mysterious quality that one either has or doesn't have. The skills of charismatic people can be learned and cultivated. It is not about how you look, but about how you make others feel about themselves.

The great American poet Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Your choice of words creates a brief impression that can lead to a long-lasting impression, long after the particulars have been forgotten. This is why the world’s most charismatic people tend to use the same phrases over and over again. Think about the power of these words. Consciously add them to your daily speech, and watch positive effects roll in.

Tell Me More

Have you come across somebody who held onto information like it was a scarce commodity? It can be annoying and frustrating trying to find out what’s going on with something that could affect your future. Those who share good information in this kind of situation, not rumors or bluster, become some of the most-liked people around.

Most of us like to talk about ourselves, but we also enjoy hearing that the things we’re contributing to are considered valuable and important. Therefore, you should always be on the lookout for opportunities to show that you’re listening to others, and that you appreciate their points of view. You can do this by explicitly asking them to share more than they already have.

People want to believe that their opinions matter, and that they can have an impact on the world around them. Therefore, if you become known as someone who legitimately wants to hear the opinions of others, you’re charisma will quickly increase.

What Can I Do to Help?

Insightful people know that nobody really does anything amazing without help from somebody else. Therefore, we’re all naturally wired to be grateful to people who offer legitimate help as we try to pursue our life goals. If you possess information, skills, or insights that’ll help others achieve their goals, others will appreciate you for offering them.

Please/Thank You

Manners cost absolutely nothing, but having them can pay big dividends. You can help yourself stand out from the crowd by remembering your manners and treating others as respected individuals. If you have starry airs……there goes your charisma! You give someone respect, you’ll get their respect back, often manifolds.

Let Me Find Out For You

Using this phrase shows that you’re willing to go out of your way in order to help somebody. If people know that you’ll do your utmost to help them, they’ll be drawn to you. As a surgeon and as an educator we are often asked questions for which we do not have ready answers or recent advances. The best response then is not brushing aside or bluffing but admitting ignorance and promising to get back.

I’d Like You to Meet…

Introduce people to each other, and become a connector. By giving your credibility and time, you will automatically make people grateful. If this connection turns out to be a positive one, they will always remember that it was you who made it happen. If it is recommending a junior colleague for specialized training under an expert, or introducing a friend to a government authority, these connections can transform their lives and one should never miss these opportunities.

I Believe You Can

We all face moments of self-doubt in life. Sometimes all it takes to overcome them is to hear that somebody else doesn’t doubt us. To add to this, people will always remember that you were the one who thought they could achieve their goals. In an educator and a team leader this is a cardinal quality. Words are very powerful, they can tear you down or build you up and so a charismatic leader always has words of encouragement.

I Think You Can Do a Lot Better

This phrase is very interesting. It’s criticism, but it’s criticism rooted in faith. Sure, you’re telling somebody that they have fallen short, but you’re also indicating to them that you have confidence in their ability to achieve more. This was Captain Saurav Ganguli’s pet phrase for Yuvraj and Sahwag and see what it did to them. A charismatic team leader identifies his/her match winners and then shepherds them towards excellence.

Let Me Be Up Front with You

Setting expectations, refusing to waste another person’s time, and being honest are all qualities of a charismatic leader. This simple phrase suggests the other person is not going to like what you’re about to tell them. However, it can achieve positive reactions because it at least shows that you want to treat the person with respect. Sometimes things don’t work as we had expected and a course correction involves some difficult conversation. This need not be unpleasant, disagree but without being disagreeable.

Charisma is the quality of being able to attract charm and influence those around them. It is that X factor which is hard to define but easy to appreciate. They are someone who has a presence in a room, has the ability to influence people, knows how to lead a group, makes people feel comfortable, smiles at people often, can get along with anyone and is ready to help selflessly.

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THE DEATH OF ELECTORAL BONDS

 

 

Electoral bonds were interest-free bearer instruments that were essentially used to donate money anonymously to political parties. Introduced in 2018, they were issued by the State Bank of India (SBI) and are sold in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh (1 million), and Rs 1 crore (10 million). Since the introduction of the scheme, around 674,250 electoral bonds worth Rs 28,531.5 crore have been printed by the India Security Press, Nashik, between 2019 and 2022.

 

The Supreme Court's unanimous judgment declaring electoral bonds unconstitutional is hardly surprising. The voter has a right to know from where the political parties are getting their money to fight elections and how are they spending it. Though a brain child of the very learned and honest past finance minister Sri Arun Jetley, with the sole intention of protecting the identity of the corporate donors so that they could not be harassed and victimized by parties they did not contribute towards, he and the BJP messed up big time on this one. In 2017 four separate legislations were amended to create electoral bonds and both the Election Commission of India (EC) and the Reserve Bank of India were distinctly uncomfortable with this because the lack of transparency and distinct possibility of money laundering. 

 

History of Election Financing

The issue of corporates donating to political parties was discussed in Parliament way back in 1959 and though the ills of this option on both sides - government coercing the corporates to pay and corporates bribing the government to act in their favour, were discussed, a bill to this effect was passed in 1960. But nine years later in 1969 the government banned these donations for the very same reasons, which they chose to overlook in 1960! Thereafter financing of elections became really murky with cash filled suitcases, black money, drug money and hawala money all finding way to finance elections.

 

While the intention behind the electoral bonds was to solve this earlier problem of massive amount of cash and black money used to finance elections which resulted in politicians becoming the public face of the underworld and the corrupt, what it achieved was far from ideal. By keeping the information on donors secret it did not allow voters to deduce any quid pro quo between donations and policies of parties in power. Electoral bonds thus could succeed in creating a clique of corporate king makers who could unduly influence policy making. Thus they had the potential of surrendering the power of decision making to corporate donors, who then could manipulate the economy.

 

Bonds protected the political affiliation of the corporate

While information about the donor Corporeity’s political affiliation was protected by right to privacy, the question that was bothering us was that can this lack of transparency be allowed to infringe upon the voter's right to information? The donor corporate knows that they have paid for a particular party, the government through its State Bank of India knows which Corporate is paying how much to which party but the voter knows nothing about these transactions! The right to information of the citizen to the identity of donor may tell them if the Corporate is being unduly preferred and that in turn may affect their choice of voting.

 

These Electoral Bonds were not squeaky clean

This seemingly innocuous amendment to the Representation of the People Act of 1951 took away the element of probity, rectitude, transparency and independence from our elections. There are many more problems with these bonds because of this lack of transparency. The person purchasing these bonds could be funded directly or indirectly by other entities - from home or from overseas. Once purchased, these bonds could be traded, again secretly in anonymity. So trails of source of political funding could get real murky particularly with no less than 2,597 Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPP) in India which can act as conduits for untraceable donations.

 

Once the political party encashed these electoral bonds, they need not use the money only for election purposes. How fair is that? When we have legal provisions limiting election expenditure why should there be no cap on receiving funding through these bonds?  What will this money be used if not for fighting elections? Will it be used for pre election buying vote for cash? Will it be used for post election horse trading?

 

The Supreme Court described the scheme as “unconstitutional”. It also directed the state-run State Bank of India (SBI) to halt issuing the bonds, furnish identity details of those who bought them, and provide information about bonds redeemed by each political party. The information will be made public on the website of the Election Commission of India. The SBI is the only organization authorized to issue the bonds under the scheme.

 

It is already known that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has received ₹1,294.14 crore (12,941.4 million) through electoral bonds in 2022-23, which was nearly 54% of its total income during the year, and seven times higher than that of its main rival, the Congress party which received only ₹ 171.02 crores (1,710.2 million) . In the last general election the victory of the ruling NDA has been of such landslide nature that these bonds may not have changed the results, but why should even an iota of opacity remain in the election funding process?

 

While I would be the first to admit that transparency alone cannot ensure free and fair elections it can surely dismiss ant linkages between donations and policy favours. But I dare say that this same transparency will perhaps not be able to protect corporates who fund parties that are not in power. Political vendetta against such corporates is already amply evident in the U.S where Donald Trump is threatening donors who are helping Nikki Haley. It won't take long to reach our shores and government agencies could start hounding corporates financing opposition parties.

 

 

Are we taking a wrong step backwards?

The demise of the electoral bonds may turn out to be a 'bad' decision if now political parties move to the old system, which allowed cash donations and the source of money was not known. Hawala operators, smugglers, extortionists all were all poll financers once upon a time in not so distant past and this decision can send the elections back in their laps. How will this practice of ‘suitcases of illicit cash’ bring transparency, which the Supreme Court feels is necessary? Did voters know who gave money earlier? And how do we know that this illicit cash is not drug money or illicit arms money. So have we once again opened to doors to both black money and red money in our elections? Jag Suraiya rightly wonders if the flip side of ‘crony capitalism’ is ‘pally politicization’!

 

An alternate method of funding elections

In one election cycle of 5 years, one Lok Sabha and around 30 Vidhan Sabha polls, total of ₹ 85,000-90,000 crore or 850 to 900 billion(estimate) is spent. We need to find a safe and transparent way of arranging this money. Instead of paying by electoral bonds to a particular party corporate can fund a common election fund, which then can be distributed among political parties depending upon their vote percentage. Donations could be given to political parties through cheques or electronic transfers (Section 80GGC Income Tax exemption), sale of coupons, crowd-funding and corporate donations. Alternatively, the government can budget for this amount by assigning a percentage of taxes collected for this fund. Electoral spending should be closely scrutinized and defaulters disqualified from the electoral process for a five year term. Political parties should develop a living database of political donations which should be available on their website for inspection by the EC as well as the public. The U.S does it and we can too.

 

The running budget for the EC is only ₹. 300 crore (30 million), not enough to conduct elections and combat state interference and political pressures. More money will bring more autonomy. Like the Supreme Court, the CAG and the UPSC the E.C's expenditure should be changed to the consolidated fund of India. This will make the E.C more powerful and our elections more representative.

 

The battle ahead

Two issues that bother a very unfortunate minority of our country, the tax payers, needs urgent attention of the courts. Political parties should be designated as public authorities under RTI Act and politicians should be held accountable for squandering tax-payers' money. Freebies, free power, loan waivers and MSP for all crops irrespective of their quality and our need are all examples of government misuse of the most productive minority's resources and trust. When will the Supreme Court legislate on these maladies?

 

Exorbitant election expenditure prohibits qualified and meritorious candidates from fighting elections. Candidates in parliamentary elections can today spend up to ₹ 95 lacs (9.5 million) in large states and ₹ 75 lacs (7.5 million) in smaller states and Union Territories and the parties invariably end up spending many times more and lying to the Election Commission. These individuals and their political parties should have their election cancelled and they must be forced to go for a repeat and fairer election.  

PARIS ON A SHOE STRING

 

Paris is expensive. Just like any other Western European capital city London, Berlin, Bern, Copenhagen, and Stockholm you need to spend a lot of money to see what Paris and these beautiful cities have to offer. And if you plan to do it in a tourist bus with a guide you will only substantiate this belief. You cannot appreciate a city from the window of a moving bus, you have to walk on the roads, brush shoulder with the locals, smell the aroma of the eateries, admire the always happening sidewalks, taste the street food and listen to the buskers in the traffic intersections to appreciate the city and that too at a slash down price.

Have you noticed a stark difference between these cities and the cities which you far more frequently visit in India – Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi? There is something for everybody in these cities. They invariably suit every pocket. So, what makes you think that these Western European capitals don’t?  They also do and I realized very early in my life while staying in Australia. Cities like Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, and Hobart all have pleasures and attractions that suit every pocket. From a 5 star hotel to a youth hostel and from a Michelin restaurant to a roadside café all you have to do is make a choice and never complain. The city attractions too are there for everyone and all you need is a little knowledge about the happenings of the city.

Paris is one of my most favourite cities. I have dedicated two blogs to the walking tour of this city and if you have not yet read them please click the following hyperlinks:

https://surajitbrainwaves.blogspot.com/2020/10/bonjour-parisarmchair-travel.html

https://surajitbrainwaves.blogspot.com/2020/10/bonjour-parisarmchair-travel-day-2.html

 

If you read my blogs you will realize that you don’t have to empty your wallet to absorb culture, admire monuments, or relax in Paris. Some of the city’s most enjoyable experiences won’t cost a cent and if you buy a Paris Pass many more attractions are free.

Views

You’ll pay €28.30 for a view from the Eiffel Tower, but the marvelous view of the Eiffel Tower itself from Palais de Chaillot is available to anyone. You can get a similar bird’s eye outlook over Paris for €7 from the dome of Sacre-Coeur basilica. However, take yourself to the rooftop terrace of Galeries Lafayette department store on Boulevard Haussmann and you’ll save all your Paris panorama money for shopping.

 

Monuments

Occasional days are entry-free at top sights, typically on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December, so check websites. At the Arc de Triomphe you’ll save €13, while at the Pantheon (where famous French figures are interred) and Sainte-Chapelle (noted for its stained glass) you’ll save €11.50. The Conciergerie, where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned, is free on the same days (except December) for another saving of €11.50.

The Notre Dame Cathedral

The Notre Dame Cathedral is being renovated after the accidental fire in in April 2019. It is a stunning gothic cathedral on the Île de la Cité with huge stained glass windows, 10 large bells (check out the most famous, Emmanuel) and two tall towers. Set on the bank of the Seine it’s a perfect location if you’re looking to save some pennies and just take in the sights of Paris.

 

Scenic spots

You don’t have to cough up for lovely architecture or great vistas. Two top squares are beautiful 17th-century Place des Vosges and hidden gem Place Dauphine, where you can kick back on a bench and admire glorious surrounding buildings. Ponts des Arts, a pedestrian bridge over the Seine, has unbeatable views of monumental Paris including Notre-Dame and, as a bonus, you might be serenaded by students strumming guitars on the footpath.

 

Cemeteries

Trust me, they are worth your time. The French capital’s largest and most prestigious cemetery is Pere Lachaise, where you get an eye-catching selection of funerary art in a leafy, park-like setting, and can pay your respects to eternally slumbering luminaries such as Chopin, Balzac, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. Pick up a map in English at the entrance. Meanwhile Alexandre Dumas, Edgar Degas and actress Jeanne Moreau are among the dead famous at Montmartre Cemetery, which has garden-like prettiness.

Pere Lachaise

 

Museums

You’ll pay €17 for the Louvre, although entry is free on the first Friday evening of each month. Musee d’Orsay is €16 and free on the first Sunday of the month. But municipal museums are always free, such as the Museum of Fine Arts (mediaeval, Renaissance and 19th-century paintings) and Museum of Modern Art (20th-century works). Other excellent free museums are Musee Carnavalet for Paris history, Musee Cernuschi for Asian art, and Musee Cognacq for fine and decorative arts.

 

Walks

It only costs shoe sole to see Paris at its best. The walks that I mentioned in my two previous blogs (hyperlink posted above) were guided but still very economical. Seine River promenades, which have supplied a romantic background for artists and movie-makers, are wonderful, and you can cross a dozen bridges for more great vistas. Less well-known is Canal Saint-Martin in a district trendy with bars and street markets. Former elevated railway viaduct turned 4.7-kilometre Promenade Plantee and former sunken railway line turned 23-kilometre Petit Ceinture park are also worth strolling.

Seine River promenade

Music

Many of Paris’ churches have free regular organ recitals, choral music and concerts, such as every Sunday at Saint-Eustache Church, a 12-minute walk from the Louvre. Oratoire du Louvre and Saint-Roch Church are also conveniently located in the 1st arrondissement. Various music conservatories have regular classical-music events, as do town halls. For rock and pop, try La Bellevilloise in Menilmontant district. Summer sees many festivals which, although mostly ticketed, also provide some free events.

 

Window shopping

If you can keep your wallet closed then window shopping (or window licking, as the French call it) provides displays of contemporary French fashion and food. Among great covered passageways are Galerie Vivienne, Galerie Vero-Dodat and Passage Verdeau. Top streets include Rue du Commerce, Rue Bonaparte, uber-chic Rue Saint-Honore, Boulevard Haussmann and long Rue de Rivoli, whose eastern end is best. Top markets are the Flower Market and the enormous Saint-Ouen Flea Market, which has everything from vintage clothing to antiques.

Galerie Vivienne

Real shopping

Forget the Champs Elysees for your holiday outfit, indulge in Paris’ second hand scene and riffle through vintage boutiques that supply some of the most best-dressed in Paris. Bric-à-Brac Riquet is one of the most popular shops for vintage fans. Set up originally by an anti-poverty charity, run by unemployed people, now this Saturday market is a honey pot for those in need of a bargain or statement piece. 

Parks and gardens

Parks aren’t second-best free options but major sights. Hit the Luxembourg Gardens for glorious flowerbeds, statuary, rose gardens and an orangery. The historic Tuileries has a formal French layout and statues by 19th-century sculptor Auguste Rodin. Also providing a sense of history is Jardin des Plantes, founded as a royal herb garden and now France’s largest botanical garden. Not-so-well-known Parc de la Villette has free open-air movies in summer, screened in their original language.

 

Micro-districts

While Paris is divided into arrondissements, within those you can find tiny districts filled with little surprises away from beaten tourist trails. Picturesque Butte Bergeyre has attractive art deco villas, a vineyard and hilltop views towards Sacre-Coeur Basilica. Leandre has a bizarrely 1920s English atmosphere, and Butte Aux Cailles the feel of a cobbled village. The latter has its own micro-district, Cite Florale, where wisteria climbs the walls, balconies cascade geraniums, and gardens blossom with flowers. You can hire a car and drive, if you are confident of driving on the right side of the road in a car which has steering wheel on the left side!

Butte Bergeyre 

 

I will advise you to visit these two websites parisjetaime.com, and paris.fr before you plan a trip to Paris. Take a good pair of walking shoes and if you are going off season then insulate yourself adequately. From evening entertainment to retail therapy, there’s plenty to do on a shoestring budget. That’s not including the savings you can make with a Paris Pass too; so combined... the possibilities are endless. Paris is beautiful at any time of the year and whether it rains, shines or snows.

THE ADDICTION TO VIDEO GAMES

 

Computer games are the most popular entertainments in modern societies and they target a variety of people of different ages but the children and adolescents are most vulnerable. In 2020, there were an estimated 2.7 billion gamers worldwide, and their numbers are always rising. This rise in the popularity of video games has led to a significant increase in people experiencing the negative effects of these games. The addiction to the rivalry and excitements of the games make them the most common recreational programmes for today's teenagers, so that they do anything to reach a higher level of the game, they immerse in the game so much that they completely separate themselves from their surroundings. Challenging with the obstacles and reaching a higher level in the game, make the players excited and losing the game make them anxious.

During our childhood, we kids were busy playing with other children, mostly outdoors, but children of today spend most of their time on computer / phone games as soon as they understand and get acquainted with them. Unlike outdoor sports these games cannot create any emotional and human relationship with others and so these children lack basic social skills. This self isolation, they carry with them to adulthood and find it very difficult to make friends with strangers.

History

In October 1958, Physicist William Higinbotham created what is thought to be the first video game. This was very similar to the 1972 computer game Pang, a computer tennis game, and then developed in hardware and software systems. Improvement of quality and variety of games increasingly spread it in the society especially among adolescents. However, Spacewar! is credited as the first widely available and influential computer game. As early as 1950, computer scientists were using electronic machines to construct relatively simple game systems, such as Bertie the Brain in 1950 to play tic tac toe, or Nimrod in 1951 for playing Nim.

Why are the Computer games popular?

It is believed that computer games like watching TV provides opportunities for visual learning. Especially because these games are more active compared to watching TV, they are considered more effective. The reasons for adolescents' attraction to these games include being excited and easily accessible while authorities and families do not have any proper plan for students' leisure time and there is not many options for their entertainments.

Benefits

There are some cognitive benefits to gaming, such as better control of one’s attention and improved spatial reasoning, though it isn’t entirely clear how much these benefits extend outside of the video game sphere into the real world. Some video games have medical applications, such as training people with degenerative diseases to improve their balance, helping adolescents with ADHD improve their thinking skills, or training surgeons on how to do technically complicated operations and improve hand eye coordination.

Effect on psychological health

Opponents of these games emphasize on their negative effects such as stimulating anger and violence, costing a lot of money and having negative effects of physical and mental health, all of which are much higher than the positive effects of these games. Their effects on psychological health of people, and severity and significance of that, depends on factors such as

·        level and intensity of violence in the game

·        the ability of player in differentiating virtual world and real world

·        player's ability to inhibit their desires and motivation

·        the values they are brought up with or living with

·        values that are in the context and content of the games.

Children often fare worse than adolescents, and adults are only slightly better in insulating their own  psychological health.  Role of computer games on social isolation, low self-esteem and violence have been studied by multiple researchers. Since in computer games, players conform to the characters in the game, in creating the new situations that occur in the game, the theory of participatory modeling and active conditioning can be used in explaining data on violent behaviors and possible rewards they get in response. Children who mostly stay at home and play in their work-stations have significantly less social skills and they carry this trait to adulthood.

What all can go wrong?

Plenty; from physical ailments, to systemic effects, to psychological disorders there is a long list of what all can go wrong.  To summarize them:

·        Poor sleep hygiene

·        Physical health atrophy

·        Exhaustion

·        Dehydration

·        Obesity and heart problems

·        Aggression

·        Lack of motivation

·        Depression

·        Suicidal thoughts

·        Social anxiety

·        Poor emotional regulation

·        Interpersonal conflict

 

Gaming injuries

Repetitive stress injuries, or overuse injuries, are injuries that come from activities that involve repeated use of muscles and tendons of hands, to the point that pain and inflammation develop. If these injuries are allowed to progress, numbness and weakness can develop, and permanent injury can result. Overuse injuries of the hands and arms are rampant among gamers. Thus Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, Gamer’s Thumb or Play Station Thumb (de Quervain’s tenosynovitis), obesity in teens, mental stress, vision problems,  headaches and poor concentration and even seizures complete the entire spectrum of gaming injuries.

De Quervain's tenosynovitis

Gaming Addiction

Long term involvement with these games leads to long term tension, restlessness, anxiety, sleeplessness and fall in academic grades. Prolong sympathetic nervous system stimulation can gradually make this system sensitive and ready for response to even limited stimulants, while causes anxiety symptoms in the player. The reasons for playing these games among boys are excitements and challenges and the ego boost that comes with a win. Moreover, sport and violent games are more attractive for boys and these have a tendency to typecast the humanity. Thus, a white skinned guy with flaming orange hairs will be the good guy and the game would be about chasing a bearded or a skull cap wearing dark fellow across a desert or a dingy city ghetto and killing him and his goons.

Gaming has also been associated with psychological problems. Thus, video game addiction, or Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) are known clinical entities whose treatment is still work in progress, as the disorder isn’t fully understood or agreed upon. Treatment strategies include  public health approaches such as education and harm reduction, stricter labeling on the packaging of the game, parental guidance as well as cognitive behavioral therapy.

Many studies show that most adolescents who are addicted to computer games have high heart beat and blood pressure due to too much excitement and stress. Then these games may create a more attractive environment compared to school works and interfere with school and educational performance of children. Gaming has also been associated with sleep deprivation, insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, depression, aggression, and anxiety. There has also been concern that exposure to the extreme violence that is commonly found in video games can desensitize teens and young adults to such violence, causing emotional problems and even leading to young people committing acts of violence.

So, how do we go ahead?

As with many other activities that have potential benefits and harms, moderation is the key. Most of the harms that come from gaming can be improved, if not avoided altogether, by limiting the number of hours spent in front of the screen. China has done this with a face recognition programme and it only allows two hours of gaming weekly, only on weekends. Children can be engaged in healthy activities like exercising, or socializing in the real world instead of the virtual game world.

Education is an essential key to injury prevention. Gamers need to be educated on how to protect their thumbs, wrists, and elbows, their waistlines, their emotional state, their sleep, and their eyes. Simple education around taking breaks, stretching, eating healthy snacks, and resting and icing your thumb, wrist, or elbow when it starts hurting can address injuries early, before they become significant. For the eyes, gamers can try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, try to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Playing video games can be fun and a social activity when integrated into a healthy lifestyle that includes plenty of sleep, exercise, and good nutrition, rather than letting the game become your life.