Live Science reports that a 29 year old man was admitted into the hospital for a torn tendon in his thumb after he played Candy Crush Saga for far longer than anyone should play Candy Crush Saga. Not hours, not days, but weeks on end. We knew Candy Crush was bad for your health, we never suspected it was actually bad for your health.
What struck researchers and doctors as peculiar is that this type of tear usually is accompanied by a great deal of pain, but the patient says he experienced practically none of it while playing. Video games are known to hit the serotonin and dopamine responders of the brain (and a game like Candy Crush with its casino like gameplay hits that on a near constant basis) but to numb out the pain from a tendon tear is some next level information that researchers will be investigating further.
Life Lessons From Candy Crush Saga
In a case of 'the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing', the man went about his life, using his right hand for everyday activities while also attempting to graft his phone onto his left hand.
"Playing was a kind of secondary thing, but it was constantly on," the man was quoted as saying in the case report.
"We need to be aware that certain video games can act like digital painkillers," said Dr. Andrew Doan, a co-author of the case report and head of addictions research at the Naval Medical Center San Diego. "We have to be very cognizant that that can be abused," Doan said.
But what does "doctor" Doan know? He says we should also limit our video game playing time to 30 minutes a day and that's never going to happen, Andrew. It will never, ever happen!
So the next time a friend invites you to play Candy Crush Saga, tell them that not only will you not support them in their addiction, but you don't want to get injured on the job. These are games, they're supposed to fun. This, however, is something else entirely.