Abstract
We highlight and study in this paper the phenomenon of the spread of addiction to electronic games, where the addict goes through stages before reaching the degree of addiction. In order to model this phenomenon, we have divided people into four groups, which are potential gamers, engaged gamers, addicted gamers, and gamers who have recovered from addiction. We propose a discrete mathematical model with control strategies using three controls that represent, respectively, u k , which represents awareness of the dangers of electronic games through written and visual media; v k , which represents the effort to direct children and adolescents to educational and entertaining alternative means; and w k , which represents creating rehabilitation centers for addicts to quit electronic game addiction. To characterize optimal controls, we use Pontryagin’s maximum principle and the system of optimality solved by an iterative method. Finally, numerical simulations are presented with and without controls. Using a cost-effectiveness analysis, we will show that the control that represents the creation of rehabilitation centers for gaming addicts is the most cost-effective strategy to control the spread of gaming addiction.
Highlights
Electronic games are seen as a traded technological commodity because they are part of modern digital culture, which affects people in different ways
In 2020, Etindele Sosso et al [7] investigated the prevalence of insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, anxiety, and depression among African gamers and described epidemics of gaming disorder in the nine African countries, including Morocco, where the prevalence of addiction was described on electronic games, the average number of hours of gaming per week, the period during which the participant considers him/herself to be a gamer, and the type of device used for gaming along with age and gender
We propose a new model that describes the dynamics of electronic game addiction. e population that we study consists of children and adolescents aged less than 24 years old within Morocco. e population under study is divided into four compartments, which are potential gamers, engaged gamers, addicted gamers, and recovered gamers
Summary
Electronic games are seen as a traded technological commodity because they are part of modern digital culture, which affects people in different ways. E World Health Organization has officially classified (International Classification of Diseases ICD-11; WHO, 2018) continuing to play video or electronic games as an addiction leading to mania and has announced that people with this mania have certain characteristics like the inability to stop gaming while winning. Research has been going on to study and understand the effect of electronic games on the behaviour and health of children. Our main objective is to propose an optimal control strategy that will minimize the number of addicted gamers To achieve this objective, we adopt three controls that represent awareness through media, guidance on alternative educational and recreational methods, and creating rehabilitation centers for electronic game addiction.
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