Covid-19 ended up not only being a terrible disease that to this day continues to terrorize humanity but is also a cause for a whole lot of sub-problems such as addiction. While reports suggest that the pandemic caused a significant increase in substance abuse, there is particular type of addiction that actively moved up the charts – online gaming and internet addiction. With people of all ages being locked at home for long periods, the pandemic paved the way for an increase in online mobile game addiction and unhealthy internet usage.
According to Apple Insider, the percentage of consumer app spent on the App Store and Google Play increased by 40% in the first quarter to a total of $32 billion when compared to the first quarter of 2020. The total app downloads on both major app platforms also grew exponentially – seeing a 10% increase from the year before. According to the media outlet, quoting a report by App Annie, the pandemic accelerated mobile gaming over the last twelve months, with gaming downloads outpacing non-gaming apps nearly three times through the troubled 2020.
Big Tech wants you to spend more time on the phone – those bright colors and hypnotic sounds are no accident. And while tech companies capitalize on the pandemic and the lockdown by providing entertainment to the bored consumers stuck at home, the fact that there is such a big difference in the numbers from last year proves that online addiction is on the rise – smartphone users needed to find ways to coop with the stress and emotions related to the novel coronavirus. Multiple reports confirm that internet usage and online gaming will continue to grow during the rest of 2021, which will likely help mobile gaming addiction become an even more significant problem than it is right now.
Suppose you, your grandparents, or your little ones have developed unhealthy habits or are spending way too much time scrolling on the phone. In that case, you may want to consider using a screen time control app that can send alerts when you or someone in your household ends up spending more time than anticipated. Sometimes you may not even need an extra app on your phone – effective antivirus software solutions already have integrated parental control features that could help you manage screen time and app-time. Getting a notification when it is time to log out of the matrix might help your productivity, stabilize your relationship with your loved ones, save you money, and help you make sure you have time to enjoy other aspects of life.
Panda Security specializes in the development of endpoint security products and is part of the WatchGuard portfolio of IT security solutions. Initially focused on the development of antivirus software, the company has since expanded its line of business to advanced cyber-security services with technology for preventing cyber-crime.
