_{13 October 2026}

14-Day Milestone Task – EAP, Games Pathway

As a survivor of depression in my youth, I understand the effects it can have on a person’s everyday life and how it can also slow down recovery.

In my teenage years, I was influenced by gruesome games and movies, and I later realised how they shaped my early adulthood. I chose this topic because I believe we all play a role in protecting youths until they reach a certain age and become independent adults.

Youngsters exposed to violence through games can have a severe effect on their early lives, such as developing depression and anxiety.

Games of that nature should not be easily available to people with recurring mental health episodes. Of course, that is hard to monitor.

Game Studios and developers should create more ethical games and consider balancing the MDA in the game to prevent extreme ideas or versions of the game from being released. This can stop vulnerable youths from accessing them.

Recently, in North California, a federal lawsuit was brought against Fortnite creators (Epic Games) and Roblox Corporation. It claimed their platforms were engineered intentionally to cause Internet Gaming Disorder.

The minor began playing Roblox and Fortnite when he was five years old and suffered severe psychological harm over five years of gameplay. It resulted in clinical depression, acute anxiety and deep social isolation.

It can be concluded that unsupervised children and teens, often through no fault of their parents, can get addicted to games, regardless of their genre and develop depression and anxiety or, worse, social isolation and the affected youths withdraw from real life.

This can have a strong, irreversible effect on their social skills development, which may lead to ongoing low self-esteem and confidence in facing real-life dramas and situations and, most importantly, dealing with people.

Efforts to impose stricter rules on gaming, especially social gaming like multiplayer games over the internet, aim to reduce these cases, especially in Europe; EU lawmakers are trying to limit how youths can access them.