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Destruction, death and diabetes – Welcome to the darker side of gaming

It’s that time of year again; mistletoe and wine, chestnuts roasting on an open fire – you know the drill. But almost as inevitable as the conspicuous absence of a white Christmas in the midst of our balmy December weather is that the year’s two big gaming launches, Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PS4, find themselves right at the very top of Santa’s wish list across the country.

So as kids and adults alike wait with baited breath as they wait to see if good ol’ St. Nic comes up trumps on a shiny new console, the scrooges here at Gadget Helpline examine the darker side of the gaming revolution.

The contents of the average Christmas stocking have changed almost beyond recognition since the altogether more modest beginnings of the modern festive period. Gone is the solitary orange, replaced by a plethora of expensive gifts and gadgets. That’s not all that’s changed. Our lifestyles in 2013 are equally unrecognisable from those of fifty or sixty years ago.

With technology very much at the heart of the modern home and modern life itself, we’re spending much more time on the sofa, and much less time engaging in physical activity, than we once did. Gaming has for some time been linked with obesity for a multitude of reasons; not just the sedentary nature of the activity. Some experts claim that prolonged periods of gaming can artificially stimulate the appetite, for instance.

More sinisterly however, extreme gaming sessions have been known to result not only in ill health, but death. In the latest of several reported incidents, a Taiwanese man died last year after a 40 hour slog without a break. Macabre incidents such as this are fortunately few and far between, and whilst an ‘everything in moderation’ approach should suffice to mitigate any health risks, damage to personal property is nevertheless surprisingly common.

Previously, one unlucky individual rose to YouTube notoriety after systematically destroying his computer monitor whilst playing popular online game World of Warcraft. Another video, the recipient of over 10 million views on the popular video sharing site, shows another unfortunate soul witnessing the demise of his beloved console; this time at the hands of his seemingly somewhat frustrated girlfriend. We don’t know whether they’re still together.

Meanwhile, a dedicated web site has been constructed as a homage to injuries sustained whilst playing on Nintendo’s Wii console, which relies upon the physical movement of gamers to control what happens on-screen. Ideal for those with the luxury of a large and open living room; often less so for those confined to an altogether tighter space.

According to Sarah Yeomans, social media manager at Endsleigh Insurance, unnecessary damage to games consoles and items in the periphery happens all too often.

“Video games are great fun, but they do have a habit of bringing out the clumsiness in us. We do see claims from time to time that probably could have been avoided with a little extra spatial awareness.

“It’s also worth bearing in mind that damage sustained as a result of ‘gamer rage’ is unlikely to be covered by your insurer, so it’s always worth taking a few deep breaths before acting on your frustration.”

If peace and serenity isn’t your thing, you might find Wikihow’s guide to gaming anger management worth a read.

But don’t let our ‘bah humbug’ guide to gaming spoil your Christmas entertainment. Some fresh air, the occasional break and maybe a little meditation should see you circumvent all of the potential pitfalls and see out the festive period unharmed and enjoying all of the benefits of your brand new games machine. That is, of course, assuming you’ve been good this year…