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Computer games have been embedded in popular culture for almost half a century.

Ever since we became gripped by the early arcade games of the 1970s, such as Pong and Space Invaders, our love affair with them has only grown stronger over the years.

Now most households have a console or PC where people can spend hours immersing themselves in online fantasy worlds , while others are able to access gaming apps at the touch of a smartphone.

But occasionally this form of escapism can cross the line from harmless fun to a serious problem, affecting relationships, livelihoods and even people's mental health.

'I fell in love with it'

Jamie Callis, originally from Barry, sought counselling for his gaming addiction when it began to spiral out of control.

The 21-year-old said he would spend up to 16 hours a day on his PC at the height of his addiction playing multiplayer online role playing games.

“When I was around four or five I remember sitting on my dad’s lap playing video games,” he recalled.

“Then at about seven I moved onto games like Halo and Call of Duty – but when I was 13 my addiction really started properly.

“I was playing a game called RuneScape for upwards of 16 hours a day. I just remember falling in love with it as there were so many skills involved.

“One minute you’d be chopping trees, and the next you’d be killing something or going on a quest. I was so engrossed in it. It allowed me to escape into a different world.”

Jamie said he soon developed his own “virtual family” who he would spend hours chatting to online.

“On one of the servers I used, there were at least 30,000 people playing [in one go], and there were over 150 servers ranging from 2,000 to 15,000-plus,” he added.

“You had clans of people, and that’s where you’d really have a ‘family’. You’d speak to people in general chats and then add them as friends and have private chats.

“Some days I was having private chats with about 30 different people while I was playing the game.”

Jamie said he first realised his gaming was taking over his life when he was taking his A-Levels. But he admitted doing very little to address it initially.

“My entire teenage years were taken up with my family being constantly concerned about me, but I didn’t really see it as an issue until I was 16 or 17,” said the former Barry Comprehensive School pupil.

“It affected my grades, my social life, my connections with my family which I’ve only just started repairing now.

“Yesterday was the first time I could sit down alone and have a meal with my mum for three years - and it was lovely.”

Just two months before his 19th birthday he said he tried going “cold turkey” and cutting computer games out of his life completely, which led to him spiralling into depression.

“It was very tough. I couldn’t walk through town without putting headphones on because I didn’t want anyone talking to me.

“I would go into lessons in college shaking because I was so nervous. I spoke to my lecturer about going into counselling which I really needed.”

Jamie, who said he spent thousands of pounds on buying games and add-ons to get onto higher levels, said going to university was his saviour.

“Things have improved greatly. I now have a great group of friends who I socialise with, go to movies with and travel around," said the University of South Wales student, who now lives in Treforest.

“I would say computer games have no effect on me anymore, but what it has done is make me aware of how I can get addicted to lots of different things.

"I relied on the dopamine that you get from playing these games."

He said a lot needs to be done to stop others like him from getting addicted to computer games.

"Governments and the companies themselves need to take this problem seriously," he concluded.

"These companies understand the psychological effects these games are having on people and are not being held accountable for it.

"What we really need is a way of enforcing age restrictions on these games and apps. The impact they're having on the brain is the same as gambling and alcohol addiction."

(Image: iStockphoto)

Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) listed computer gaming addiction as a mental health disorder for the first time.

It classifies an addiction under three specific symptoms:

impaired control over gaming (frequency, intensity, duration)

increased priority given to gaming

continuation or escalation of gaming despite negative consequences

What do the experts say?

Eytan Alexander, founder of leading addiction treatment firm UKAT said: “Just because someone games for a few hours every day does not mean they have an addiction.

"However that, coupled with other signs and symptoms of gaming addiction could indicate that the person has a problem.

“It’s important to observe the gamer when they’re NOT playing the game, as this will identify whether or not they have a dependency. If the person is irritable, agitated, and socially isolated then they could have an addiction.”

An online marketplace called Bark.com has reported that more than 5,000 people in the UK have sought professional help for gaming addiction - 30% of which were for children - in the last 12 months.

Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com said: “We were shocked at just how many people have sought help for gaming addiction in the last year.

"It seems to be a modern problem, from working with our counsellors it’s evident that parents are struggling to see the signs.

"What is apparent is that it’s like any other addiction, except children are more at risk of suffering from it because there’s no age limit like there is with alcohol and it’s very accessible unlike illegal drugs.

“Our counsellors have advised parents to be wary of their child’s behaviour this summer, especially with games like Fortnite, where it’s the ‘in’ thing to do.

"Any parents who are concerned can seek professional help and advice, whether that is hiring a counsellor or going to your GP. Gaming addiction is not something to be taken lightly and can have a devastating emotional impact.”

Signs of gaming addiction that people should look out for The person expresses extreme anger, irritation and frustration when they’re not allowed access to a video game

Appears depressed and anxious when they’re not playing a video game

Becomes disinterested with school work and other activities that they previously enjoyed

Drastic change in mood when they start playing the game. This can be from calm to excited or from angry to happy for example

Appears to lose control while playing the game and expresses uncharacteristic emotions.

The NSPCC has also warned that computer games can leave children vulnerable to online grooming.

A spokesman said: “Gaming addiction can affect both the development and wellbeing of children, while also leaving them at the risk of grooming by would-be abusers who use digital platforms as a method of directly contacting vulnerable youngsters.

“We know that in 2017/18 there were 274 offences of sexual communication with a child in Wales. And the internet is increasingly being used as a gateway to groom and abuse.

“The NSPCC has a raft of advice for parents to help their children play safe online, including learning how to mute, block or report material in games and keeping a conversation going about gaming.

“We have also teamed up with O2 to provide further tips to parents using the TEAM principle (Talk, Explore, Agree and Manage).”