Good Grief

Looking for a bridge over troubled water? Krithvi Shyam, our young psychologist, addresses your worst anxieties.

Iam a 16-year-old girl. I am addicted to a virtual game and have even started making some friends via the game. The game is even affecting my thinking process. All this is affecting my studies and my grades are going down. Help! - VIRTUALLY STUCK

Have you tried quitting ‘cold turkey’? When you suddenly decide to quit and stick to your decision? Your virtual world, like most virtual worlds, is probably more entertaining than real life. It’s good that you’ve realised how influenced you are by it, so go one step further and give it up altogether. Block gaming websites and uninstall games so that you’re not tempted to revisit them. Do you have a schedule that you follow (like return from school, have lunch, do homework, start gaming)? Then try to find other things to do in the time you usually spend on games. This could be something relaxing, like watching TV or reading a book. Give up your relationship if it means you have to spend more time gaming; instead, look towards developing connections with people IRL instead (that’s “in real life”, for the uninitiated)

Relationships, office politics, peer pressure, teacher trouble... mail your questions to nxg.nextgen@gmail.com. Mark “Good Grief” in the subject.