Many individuals have turned to electronic gaming in the face of a worldwide pandemic and government-issued safety instructions to stay physically far. E-sports is a multibillion-dollar business that includes professional, college, and amateur athletes from all over the world.

The electronic gaming business has swept the globe. Globally, an estimated 380 million people watch e-sports, and more than 125 institutions have established varsity e-sports teams.

Even the International Olympic Committee has jumped on board, announcing that e-sports will be a demonstration activity at the 2024 Olympics.

During the epidemic, the number of e-sports fans has skyrocketed. Verizon observed a 75% spike in gaming traffic at peak hours since the pandemic began, compared to 20% and 12% increases in online traffic and digital video streaming, respectively.

What is Esports

To put it simply, esports is the competitive side of multiplayer gaming. However, there are several methods, venues, and activities to have fun.

On the Internet, large-scale esports events are taking place all the time, with individuals participating from their homes. Platforms such as Faceit, Battlefy, and World Gaming Network allow users to participate in matches as individuals or as teams. Although many gamers participate for the excitement of it, online tournaments sometimes offer financial awards.

If an adolescent participates in an esports team at school, the games are played utilising the school’s Internet connection, and there is no travelling — potentially save for playoff games and state championships. Esports are becoming more popular as varsity sports at a rising number of institutions.

Then there’s the live, professional circuit, where players compete in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of spectators. Pro games are aired on internet outlets such as YouTube Gaming and Twitch, as well as on television networks such as ESPN and DisneyXD.

Professional esports players are often sponsored by video game firms such as game creators and game controller makers, and they fight for multimillion-dollar prizes. According to conservative projections, the worldwide esports sector will be worth $1.5 billion by 2020. (billions less than other national pro sports).

Certain sorts of games, such as first-person shooters, arena fights, and fighting games, lend themselves better to competition than, for example, role-playing games with less action. Counter-Strike, League of Legends, and StarCraft are some of the most popular esports titles.

Popular sports games include Madden NFL, FIFA, and NBA 2K. Fortnite is also gaining traction in the esports sector.

Schools will be allowed to choose which games are appropriate for their particular leagues. Activities that are judged excessively violent or age-inappropriate will not be permitted — or may be permitted in some sections but not others.

Is Esports bad for people? What are the pitfalls of electronic sports?

Putting in the hours necessary to become proficient at anything is taxing. Esports pose dangers to the body — and even to the growing brain. Many elite esports players claim to practise for eight to twelve hours per day, which has resulted in a rise in computer-related illnesses such as carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injury, and back discomfort. Following the collapse of numerous competitors’ lungs, participants are being advised not to hold their breath at difficult periods. Despite the fact that esports do not pose the same physical hazards as contact sports such as football, professional players and ex-professionals report burnout.

How a large amount of video-game playing affects the human brain is the subject of ongoing research. According to some research, playing video games may be advantageous. However, it may have a detrimental impact on a person’s thinking, knowledge of the world, and other brain functions, including the development of addiction. The games themselves, which may be violent, are also potentially harmful; research suggests that excessive exposure to such violent media can lead to aggressive attitudes and conduct.

Let us check some perks and pitfalls of esports:

The Perks

• Hand-eye coordination is improved: “A skilled player has 300 to 400 exact motions per minute. These motions necessitate the development of better hand-eye coordination abilities in gamers.
• Improved concentration and visual acuity: Gaming needs continual focus. Players have an incredible capacity to monitor things and focus on e-sports in the face of external distractions.
• Improved decision-making and problem-solving abilities: E-sports players must make rapid judgments and plan ahead of time. They must not only consider which move to make and when, but they must also devise plans to overcome their opponents.
• Improved social contact: E-sports provide a chance for interaction. This is especially crucial during a worldwide epidemic in which individuals are physically separated. Many gamers claim that e-sports helps them interact socially with peers.

The Pitfalls

• Gaming disorder: A diagnosis is known as “gaming disorder” was added to the International Classification of Diseases in 2018. The word refers to a condition in which gamers prioritise e-sports over other activities to the point that it has an influence on their general health and well-being.
• Joint pain: Competent gaming necessitates an exorbitant amount of repeated movement in the thumbs, fingers, and hands. Repetitive motions create irritation and tendinitis. “Gamer’s thumb” (inflammation of the tendons that move your thumb), carpal tunnel syndrome (a pinched nerve that causes numbness, paralysis, and tingling in the hands), and even tennis elbow are all common problems (irritation and inflammation of the tissue that connects the forearm and elbow).
• Nutritional deficiency: It’s not unusual for gamers to sit in one place for hours on end. They may forget to eat or simply grab the handiest food they can find in order to consume it fast and return to the game.
• Lack of exercise: Many gamers are preoccupied with their screens to the exclusion of all other activities, including physical exercise. There’s also a risk of blood clots among elite players from staying in one location for too long.
• Mood and sleep disturbances: While involvement in e-sports has not been demonstrated to induce a mood or social problems, there is a link between the two — and one can worsen the other. Things like sadness, which is driven by a lack of exercise, diet, hydration, and natural light — all of those things happen with video games. People who like engaging in e-sports may also experience an increase in sleep difficulties.

It is impossible to escape some of the dangers of e-sports if you are a pro-level gamer. However, there are steps you may do to reduce the detrimental impact on your health:

• Make time for regular breaks – and then take them.
• Schedule time for a “serious” workout.
• Consume meals at regular intervals and eat a healthy diet.
• Wear braces, rest, and rehab affected regions as needed.

Targeted activities should be performed to strengthen surrounding tissues and lubricate inflammatory joints and tendons.

Most importantly, understand your limitations. If you’re not a professional gamer, be careful to limit your e-sports participation and vary your hobbies.

E-sports is a legitimate activity in which millions of people, including children, participate. Parents must moderate the athlete’s passion, just like they do in physical sports because e-sports is a relatively new area, parents must educate themselves in order to make educated decisions for their children.