Video Game Addiction In Children And Adolescents
Almost all American children and teenagers play video games. Among teenagers, 97% of boys and 83% of girls play at least one video game on at least one device. There is evidence that children who start to play video games at younger ages are more likely to develop video game addictions than children who start to play them when theyre older. Nevertheless, addiction to video games is a risk for children of all ages. Video game addiction is likely to negatively impact a childs success in school. A child who plays video games obsessively will probably fail to study, finish homework, or participate in sports or school clubs. They may also be tired at school and fall asleep in class.
Studies have shown that playing video games excessively can negatively affect a childs emotional development as well as their academic success. Children who have a video game addiction may be more inclined to exhibit aggressive and anti-social behavior, and they might fail to develop mature social skills. Childrens minds are especially vulnerable to forming habits and routines. Parents should make sure that their children have a balanced relationship with any video game that they play.
Finding The Alternatives To Replace The Addiction8 Lectures 22min
- Why is finding the alternative important?02:25
- What is the right alternative?04:56
- Introduction to the question sheet.02:15
- Step 2: Question Sheet 00:02
- Filling in the question sheet guide. 03:12
- Real life question sheet example explained.05:43
- What makes an alternative effective?02:33
- 100 alternatives for video games.00:29
In The End You Are Still The Parent You Should At All Times Feel Like You Are In Control Of This Situation
But please always keep this in mind: your kid is still just a kid.
Back in the 80s and 90s kids and teens were obsessed with their Atari consoles and Gameboys. In 10 years time, the next generation will be obsessed with something else.
When your kids grow up, they will have adult responsibilities and adult things to worry about.
This is why I think if your children are generally great kids
< insert whatever adjective describes your child here: funny, smart, confident, caring, compassionate, happy, creative, sensitive>
then theres nothing wrong with allowing your children to enjoy their youth and such games * in moderation *.
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How To Break A Childs Video Game Addiction
The first step a parent should take is to disarm their child by talking to them. When you speak to your child about their gaming habit, the first thing that will pop into their mind is that you will take away their video games.
That thought will make them defensive, and anything they say will come from the mindset of âthem + their video games vs. you.â
Therefore, you need to get on their team. Try to explain to your child, âI want to talk to you. Iâm not saying that weâre going to make any changes. First, just help me understand.â
After having this conversation, you need to set reasonable expectations. You could say, âI know that you love playing Fortnite because you feel amazing when you win the match. I think itâs awesome for you to win, and I want you to keep feeling amazing. Iâm just wondering if, in addition to Fortnite, is there something else that could help you feel that way? I know you love Fortnite,
but I think your grades are kind of unacceptable. I know you are capable of getting more than Cs, and so, if your grades donât improve, then weâre gonna have to stop playing Fortnite.â
here to learn some actionable video game addiction treatment strategies.
How Can I Get Help For A Video Game Addiction
If you know its time to overcome video game addiction or help someone whos struggling with it, there are many resources available to help you get started. There are programs all over the country as well as in-person and online support groups which are dedicated to helping people break free from addiction to video games.
The first step to ending video game addiction is to put the controller down and step away. This can be difficult, which is why many video game addicts made a successful recovery only when they discard their gaming equipment or go away on a wilderness retreat. A severe problem with video games might require drastic solutions. If you have questions about treatment for video game addiction, please contact a dedicated treatment provider today. A video game should not be the center of anyones life, but if it is, there is hope for getting unshackled from the screen.
- About
Destiny Bezrutczyk is a Digital Content Writer from west Iowa. She earned a Bachelors in English Language and Literature from Texas Tech University. After working as a freelance script and blog writer, she began writing content for tech startups. Maintaining a passion for words, she took on a variety of projects where her writing could help people .
Clinically Reviewed:
Theresa Parisi
- About
All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.
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There Is A Solutionhow To Help A Child Addicted To Games
I’m here to tell you that there IS a solution, and were not talking about controlling or minimizing the addiction. That’s not nearly enough. Were talking about eliminating it
Were talking about a real transformation where your child becomes truly happy, fulfilled, responsible, and, well, a human being again.
Welcome to the answers you’ve been hoping for.
For a long time now, youve been looking for ways to help your child. I greatly admire what youre doing right now. Youre looking for answers, youre trying to love your child which is way more than most parents do. And finally, youre in the right place.
References: Video Game Addiction
Gentile D. 2009. Pathological video-game use among youth ages 8 to 18: a national study. Psychol Sci. 20:594-602.
Gentile DA, Choo H, Liau A, Sim T, Li D, Fung D, and Khoo A. 2011. Pathological video game use among youths: a two-year longitudinal study. Pediatrics. 127:e319-29.
Kelly JF, Myers MG, and Brown SA. 2000. A multivariate process model of adolescent 12-step attendance and substance use outcome following inpatient treatment. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. 14:376-389.
Lee MS, Ko YH, Song HS, Kwon KH, Lee HS, Nam M, and Jung IK. 2007. Characteristics of Internet use in relation to game genre in Korean adolescents. Cyberpsychol Behav. :278-85.
Pentz MA, Spruijt-Metz D, Chou CP, and Riggs NR. 2011. High calorie, low nutrient food/beverage intake and video gaming in children as potential signals for addictive behavior. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 8:4406-24.
Rau PL, Peng SY, and Yang CC. 2006. Time distortion for expert and novice online game players. Cyberpsychol Behav. 9:396-403.
Skoric MM, Teo LL, and Neo RL. 2009. Children and video games: addiction, engagement, and scholastic achievement. Cyberpsychol Behav. 12:567-72.
Sun DL, Ma N, Bao M, Chen XC, and Zhang DR. 2008.Computer games: a double-edged sword? Cyberpsychol Behav. 11:545-8.
Tejeiro Salguero RA and Bersabe Morán RM. 2002. Measuring problem video game playing in adolescents. Addiction 97: 1601-1606.
Content of Video game addiction last modified 3/13
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When Video Game Use Crosses The Line
As a parent of a child who plays video games, computer games, or games on handheld devices like cell phones, its important to take a look at your childs overall functioning at home, at school, in their social circle and their mental or psychological functioning. First, lets take a moment to consider some positives about video games: Some games are educational, some promote physical activity, and when played with others games can help children develop the skills of sharing and cooperation. Video games can also foster resilience and they can even help to strengthen childrens problem-solving skills and patience in challenging situations.
Now I know there are many of you out there who are really struggling with your kids video game use and see no positives in it whatsoever. This is a really tough place to be. Video game designers create the games to be highly engaging and to make the user want to keep playing. Children especially can have a very hard time stopping once they get stuck in the positive feedback loops these games create. Here are some things to look for that might mean your childs video game use is becoming unhealthy:
So what can you do to limit your childs video game playing and create healthy boundaries around it? For some of you, this will be more challenging than for others. Some kids are much more deeply involved with video games and setting limits in these cases will be harder.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Behavioral Signs Of Video Game Addiction
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You Would Not Be Here Unless Two Things Were True:
- you have a child who is way too occupied with video gamesway too much AND
- you care enough to do something about it.
If parents are thoroughly committed to learning and practicing what Im going to share with you, predictably I see children children quit their game addiction, and instead they become happy and fully engaged with lifeeven after everything else has failed.
You become happy too.
It is NOT hopeless
Im here to help you, and Ill be using the insight and experience of counseling with thousands of parents, and from writing 20 books and endless articles on the subject, as well as appearing on 1600 radio and television shows and presenting seminars all around the worldand much more.
You are about to change the world around you, and you dont have to do it alone, which is miserable and frustrating. Youve already proven that with your own experience.
Why Is Video Game Addiction Bad For Your Child
Video game addiction has the ability to affect your childs life in a lot of negative ways. Excessive playing takes time away from you kid to interact with you, his siblings and friends. Being isolated all the time could deprive your child of developing a social skill that he could learn from hanging out with his family and friends. Though players interact online during gaming time, it is not the same as face-to-face interaction.
It becomes your childs only focus. When he is so obsessed with playing video games that it is the only thing that motivates him, it is the only thing he talks about and thinks about, other important things in his life become neglected. School activities, homework, and a lot of other things that the child could be doing to better develop can get sidelined because of gaming.
Kids who play excessively also lack sleep, which is very harmful to the mind that is still developing. When they go to school the next, it makes it difficult for them to concentrate.
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Mistake #: Starting Young
The earlier a child begins playing electronic games, the sooner he or she is exposed to the patterns that lead to addiction. Children who become accustomed to junk food lose their appetite for healthy eating.
Similarly, kids also acquire a “taste” for certain kinds of recreation. Those who develop patterns of natural play rather than virtual play are more likely to become well-rounded, happy adolescents. Those who are introduced to the dopamine-inducing high of prolonged video-game play often become bored with any other recreation.
How To Help A Child Addicted To Games
I’m here to tell you that there IS a solution, and were not talking about controlling or minimizing the addiction. That’s not nearly enough. Were talking about eliminating it.
Were talking about a real transformation where your child becomes truly happy, fulfilled, responsible, and, well, a human being again.
Welcome to the answers you’ve been hoping for.
For a long time now, youve been looking for ways to help your child. I greatly admire what youre doing right now. Youre looking for answers, youre trying to love and help your child, which is way more than most parents do.
And finally, youre in the right place.
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Signs Of Video Game Addiction Parents Should Recognize
Call to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.Who Answers?
Reading Time: 3minutes
Video game activity has become the norm among children and teenagers. Computers, Xboxes and handheld devices make it easy to play a game at any given time or place. While many parents may welcome the reprieve these games bring, when children spend all their time playing games, parents may want to start looking for signs of video game addiction.
Signs of video game addiction result when children and teenagers start to neglect other areas of their lives to play video games. If you as a parent are wondering whether your child may be spending too much time playing games, here are 10 signs of video game addiction to consider.
When We Are Angry At Another Person Including Our Child They Hear Only I Don’t Love You
I promise you that this is true.
No, we dont MEAN to say that, but what else COULD people hear while our words, tone, and behavior are screaming ME-ME-ME? I dont love you is what YOU hear and FEEL when people are angry at youthink about it honestlyand its what our children hear and feel when were angry at them. And then we have an anxious child or anxious teenager.
Its little wonder that they respond with their own anger.
Again, we do NOT mean to do this. We do not mean to hurt our children.
But it was inevitable, because WE were not loved unconditionallywhich means being consistently loved without disappointment or anger. We were not loved freely, without conditionsso how could we possibly have learned how to unconditionally love our own children? IMPOSSIBLE.
Nobody is to blame. Our ignorance of Real Love simply perpetuated over generations. We dont know how to love unconditionally because weve never seen it or felt it with any consistency.
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What Games Do Your Child Play
I would agree that as parents we must be very careful with what and how much video games out children play. The first thing that we need to be careful of is the nature of video games. Many games are not child appropriate . I would also argue that this is not adult appropriate either, as we dont mature to the point to be able to handle sinful ideas or things, but rather we need to be examples to our children and stay away from things, thoughts, ideas that are not God-honoring . As parents we need to preview the video games or monitor their play so that we know that they are appropriate. Check out how video games are rated on pluggedin.com to help you and your child be a discerning gamer.
Accept That Gaming Is Fun For Your Child Even If Its Not Fun For You
Those of us who did not grow up with ipads, ipods, and multitudes of devices wonder why anyone would want to spend his down time in a two-dimensional world with no real plot?
Well, not a lot of us want to play tag for more than ten minutes, either.
Minecraft offers yet another opportunity to separate your experience from that of your child.
It isnt your fault. The love of games did not come from your failure to expose them to sports or to read to them. They like what they like.
As long its not dangerous or illegal, its all alright. End of story.
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How Video Game Addiction Is Treated
The treatment plans typically used for video game addicts will vary according to the person being treated. However, there are some steps habitually used by therapists who are focused on working with this type of addiction:
