The story
From parakeet + -itis. From the humorous association of such a player's behaviour with parakeets' repetition of human phrases and supposed affinity for shiny or colourful objects.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
parakeetitis
Today it means: The excessive admiration of, and tendency to be easily distracted by, the visually appealing components of a board game (especially a Eurogame). Full definition →