Kids Addicted to Video Games: Ten Critical Points Parents Need to Know

For decades, parents and the media have worried about the effects of video game violence on children and teens (even as in-game blood graphics became little more than pixelated red squares).

Although concerns about the effects of violent video games persist, today’s parents may be more concerned with video game addiction than with the portrayal of violence in games.

Although experts sometimes disagree on the exact percentage of children who become addicted to gaming, most studies estimate the rate to be five to ten percent of active online gamers.

Because video game addiction is a relatively new phenomenon, parents may not have accurate information about the telltale symptoms of unhealthy levels of play, why some video games are more addictive than others, who is more likely to develop problematic gambling habits and how to address the problem. addiction after it develops.

Although researchers and psychologists are learning more rapidly about how to predict, assess, and treat addiction to computer games, a considerable amount of misinformation and confusion remains about this very real problem of the digital age.

Before attempting to help a child or adolescent addicted to video games, parents should consider the following ten points.

1. As of this writing, video game addiction, computer addiction, and Internet addiction are No psychiatric diagnoses. The possible inclusion of these terms in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has been debated for many years, but for now they remain unofficial labels, not clinical disorders.

2. Because there is no official diagnosis of video game addiction, there is no specific period of hours played per day that indicates “addiction.” Obviously though, the more a child plays, the more likely it is that their unhealthy habits are excessive and need to be changed. In addition to determining the typical number of play hours per week, it may be more important for psychologists to assess the extent to which play affects a child’s academic, social, and relational functioning.

3. Although most kids and teens can play video games without becoming addicted, there certainly are those who play too much. For these people, gaming becomes the number one priority in life and development in the real world is sacrificed for advancement in the virtual world. Whether this is called an “addiction” is largely irrelevant. Excessive and unhealthy levels of gaming while ignoring school, other activities, and real world friends is a problem that needs to be addressed.

4. If parents are concerned that their child is playing too much and ignoring other important activities, they should not assume that it is just a phase and that the child will “outgrow it in time.” Although some kids and teens outgrow video games, there are others who play even more as they get older. Waiting for the problem to resolve itself is not a recommended strategy. Excessive play should be addressed as soon as it becomes clear that it significantly interferes with other important areas of the child’s life.

5. As a general rule, successful interventions almost always include the removal of any game console or computer from the child’s room. It is very difficult for parents to regain control of their children’s gaming habits if there is still access to the game in their room.

6. If video game addiction has resulted in school grades that are significantly below what a child is capable of, parents should be prepared to place very strict restrictions on gaming or ban it altogether until grades improve. . It is absolutely essential that any threats to restrict access are enforced: actions must always be consistent with words.

7. If parents choose to seek help from a psychologist or mental health professional, it is recommended that they meet with him or her prior to the child’s first appointment. Despite mounting evidence that video game addiction is a real problem deserving of targeted interventions, there are mental health professionals who remain highly skeptical and will always look for the “underlying problem.” Parents should make sure that the psychologist or therapist they choose is at least willing to directly address excessive gaming habits if necessary. Which brings us to the next point…

8. Sometimes there is an underlying problem. Video game addiction can exist independently of other mental health conditions. But excessive gambling can also cause other psychological and emotional difficulties… and be caused by other psychological problems. For example, a teenager experiencing low self-esteem or depression may turn to online video games as a way to withdraw from real-world problems. In this scenario, it would be important to address not only the problem of gambling, but also the depressed mood and low self-esteem.

9. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is generally the recommended treatment approach for video game addiction that is not the result of a deeper underlying problem. A therapist treating excessive gambling with CBT will focus on challenging unhealthy and unrealistic thoughts the client may have about gaming (for example, that “everyone plays as much as I do”) and design clear behavioral interventions to help parents to reduce the total play time. to acceptable levels.

10. Parents should never give up on their children. Video game addiction can be very strong and extremely reluctant to go away, but it can be successfully treated with the right information, mitigation strategies, and professional interventions.