In an economy that aims for productivity, creativity, and quality human capital, the way the younger generation spends their hours in front of the screen is not just a matter of entertainment. It is a matter of development. Are we facing a new epidemic among young people, which will change the way they approach education and the job market?
Video game addiction is not a problem of the future. It is already part of Albanian reality, although it is still underreported and often underestimated. The question is not whether games are good or bad, but whether society is prepared to manage their consequences.
In the world, this phenomenon is being treated less and less as a peripheral phenomenon and more and more as a public health issue. The World Health Organization has included “gaming disorder” in the international classification of diseases since 2019, defining it as a behavioral pattern characterized by loss of control over gaming, the priority given to it over other life activities, and its continuation despite negative consequences.
Albania does not have detailed national statistics on this phenomenon, but international data that includes the country provides a worrying picture.
According to World Health Organization data on the health behaviors of children and adolescents in Europe, about 34% of adolescents in the region, including Albania, declare that they play video games every day.
Of these, 22% spend four hours or more per day playing, while about 12% are classified as at risk for developing video game addiction. These figures do not speak of casual use, but of intense and potentially problematic exposure to digital gaming.
The same data show that the phenomenon is significantly more prevalent among boys than girls. In the 11–15 age group, boys report higher levels of daily play and more hours spent playing, a trend that is widely observed across Europe and is linked not only to the competitive nature of games, but also to the way they are structured to increase engagement.
As IT expert Kushtrim Shala explains, "this phenomenon is human behavior engineering at the highest level," where mechanisms like unpredictable rewards create a cycle that keeps the user coming back repeatedly.
If we look at the data on internet usage in Albania, the picture at first glance seems less alarming. According to Eurostat and INSTAT statistics, only about 28% of Albanian internet users declare that they play or download video games, a level lower than the European Union average.
But this indicator hides a key element: games are not played by the majority of users, but by a relatively small segment that spends many hours a day with them. It is precisely this concentration of time and attention on a certain group that creates the ground for addiction, but also for intensive monetization by the industry.
In fact, the economic model of gaming today is no longer based solely on selling a product, but on keeping the user in the game for as long as possible. Systems like “loot boxes”, “daily rewards” and carefully designed progression are not random elements, but part of a deliberate architecture that, according to Mr. Shala, “is based on algorithms and psychological models to increase the need for online engagement and purchase”.
This shifts gaming from a recreational activity to an attention economy, where the user's time is directly converted into revenue.
Academic studies on internet addiction among Albanian students show that intensive use of technology is associated with higher levels of stress, anxiety, and mental fatigue.
Although these studies do not focus exclusively on video games, they suggest that gaming is part of a broader pattern of problematic use of digital environments. In other words, video game addiction does not occur in isolation, but in an ecosystem where the boundaries between school, entertainment, and social life have shifted toward the screen.
This transformation has also been accelerated by the spread of mobile gaming. While access once required expensive devices like consoles or computers, today gaming is present on every smartphone.
"The phenomenon became massive because it became accessible to everyone, it happens in the pocket, in bed, at school or at the family table," emphasizes Mr. Shala, making monitoring increasingly difficult.
The consequences are tangible. Psychologists report that young people with excessive video game use often exhibit decreased school performance, sleep disorders, irritability and aggression when the game is interrupted, as well as social isolation.
The game gradually transforms from a fun activity into an escape mechanism from real problems, creating a cycle that reinforces the addiction.
But the impact does not stop at the individual. In a broader economic perspective, this way of using technology raises questions about the quality of human capital in the future. According to Mr. Shala, the job market will increasingly require “deep concentration and the ability to solve complex problems,” while games designed for maximum engagement often reward quick reactions rather than deep reflection.
Meanwhile, other countries are experimenting with different policies to address the phenomenon. China has imposed strict legal limits on gaming time for minors, allowing only a few hours a week.
Në Europë, qasja është më pak ndaluese dhe më shumë edukative, me fokus në ndërgjegjësimin e prindërve, rolin e shkollës dhe ndërhyrjen e hershme psikologjike. Shqipëria, deri tani, nuk ka një strategji të posaçme kombëtare për përdorimin e shëndetshëm të videolojërave apo menaxhimin e varësisë digjitale.
Në mungesë të politikave publike, barra bie mbi familjen dhe shkollën. Por z. Shala sugjeron se, vendosja e kufijve të qartë të kohës së ekranit, nxitja e aktiviteteve sportive dhe sociale jashtë mjedisit virtual, si dhe njohja e hershme e shenjave të varësisë janë ndër mjetet kryesore parandaluese.
“Pa këto ndërhyrje, rreziku nuk është vetëm individual, por strukturor: një pjesë e kapitalit njerëzor mund të rritet më shumë si konsumator i teknologjisë sesa si krijues i saj”, – përfundon ai.
Fenomeni shfaqet me intensitet më të lartë te djemtë, një prirje që vërehet edhe në vende të tjera europiane. Kjo lidhet jo vetëm me ofertën e lojërave që targetojnë më shumë audiencën mashkullore, por edhe me faktorë kulturorë, presion social dhe mënyrën se si djemtë e rinj kanalizojnë stresin, konkurrencën dhe nevojën për afirmim.
Videolojërat ofrojnë një sistem të qartë shpërblimi, nivele, rankime dhe identitet virtual, shpesh më të lehtë për t’u arritur sesa suksesi akademik apo social në jetën reale. Siç thekson psikologia Anisa Zaçe, “lojërat janë gjithnjë e më shumë të dizenjuara për të krijuar varësi”, duke u mbështetur në mekanizma të shpërblimit me dopaminë që forcojnë sjelljen dhe e bëjnë shkëputjen më të vështirë.
Nga pikëpamja psikologjike, varësia nga videolojërat lidhet shpesh me probleme të tjera të padukshme. Ankthi, stresi, vetmia, mungesa e strukturës ditore apo presioni akademik janë faktorë që e shtyjnë individin drejt lojës si formë qetësimi ose shmangieje.
“Fëmijët që krijojnë varësi e kanë lojën arrati”, shpjegon znj. Zaçe, duke shtuar se në këto raste, loja nuk është më thjesht argëtim, por një mënyrë për të shmangur realitetin. Shenjat paralajmëruese janë të njohura: rënie e rezultateve në shkollë, çrregullime të gjumit, nervozizëm kur loja ndërpritet, izolim social dhe humbje interesi për aktivitete që më parë kishin rëndësi.
Në thelb, sipas saj, “shenjat alarmante janë nga roli që i vendoset lojës në jetën e fëmijës”, sidomos kur ajo merr përparësi mbi gjumin, shkollën dhe marrëdhëniet sociale.
Edhe pse mungojnë studime të thelluara specifike për varësinë nga videolojërat në Shqipëri, kërkimet mbi varësinë nga interneti tek studentët shqiptarë tregojnë lidhje të forta me stresin, lodhjen mendore dhe probleme emocionale.
Ekspertët theksojnë se loja është pjesë e një problemi më të gjerë të përdorimit intensiv dhe jo të shëndetshëm të teknologjisë, në një shoqëri ku kufijtë mes online dhe offline po bëhen gjithnjë e më të paqartë.
Ms. Zaçe warns that the consequences may appear in the longer term, as “these young people will find it more difficult to engage in activities that do not provide immediate reward” and may face difficulties in emotional self-regulation and concentration.
Globally, some countries have responded with strong policies. China, for example, has imposed strict limits on gaming time for minors, considering video game addiction a threat to mental health and long-term productivity.
In Europe and the US, the focus is more on awareness, parental education and psychological intervention, avoiding direct bans. However, as psychology underlines, early interventions remain key, as “taking timely measures can greatly help in managing these risks.”
The economic cost of gaming addiction
The cost is not only individual, but also macroeconomic. One of the most studied cases is South Korea, one of the most developed gaming markets. One economic analysis estimates that the annual cost of video game addiction is about $3.5 billion, including lost productivity, social costs, and public interventions for treatment and prevention.
This figure is particularly significant because it comes from a highly digitalized economy, where gaming is part of everyday life. International studies emphasize that the bulk of the cost does not come from direct health expenses, but from indirect costs, mainly loss of productivity.
In similar analyses for other addictive behaviors (such as gambling), over 50% of the total cost is related to reduced productivity, unemployment, and poor performance at work.
This model is often used as a reference for gaming, as the mechanisms of addiction are similar. European reports emphasize that addiction to gaming and online activities creates “significant economic costs and burdens for the health system”, due to the impact on performance at work, education and social relationships. So, the effect is not only on the individual, but translates into a loss of human capital.
In the long term, studies warn of an even more profound effect: reduced skills and labor market participation. High exposure to gaming, especially at a young age, is associated with a lack of employable skills and a decline in labor force participation, potentially negatively impacting GDP growth.
At the micro level, the cost manifests itself in more diffuse but equally tangible ways: declining academic performance, delayed entry into the labor market, and reduced productivity throughout the life cycle. When these effects multiply at the population level, they create an invisible but real cost to the economy.
