What To Do When Your Child is Addicted To Video Games

What most if not all kids do, is play video games. It forms part of their childhood and sometimes says with them even in adulthood. Video games are amazing and kids fall in love with them from the word go. This is perfectly healthy and ok. However, when this love turns into addiction, it becomes a problem. It is important to note that addiction is not entirely defined by the time one spends playing the game, it could one to three hours a day, most of the day during the weekend, or every chance the child has to sneak into his room or the basement to play. Some kids can play video games the whole day if they have the chance to yet they are not addicted, they have the chance to play, they do it, if they don’t, it doesn’t bother them. For other kids though not so much; they become obsessed with the game, and wherever they are, whether it is in class or at the dining table, they are thinking about the game. They will rush every through task, homework, house chores, cleaning their rooms, just to get back to their table, or computer to play.

However, your child being addicted to video games doesn’t mean he will not shine in other fields. In fact, your son can be addicted to video games and still be a straight ‘A’ student. The addiction only means that everything else is less enjoyable and less interesting to the child than the game, it doesn’t mean that he is bad at other things. This bad thing though, is that being addicted to video games has the effect of pulling the child away from all other things and activities which are more important and beneficial.

How To Know When Your Child is Addicted to Video Games

It is interesting to note, though this happens right under your nose as a parent, it doesn’t make it your fault, at least not all the time. Video games addiction happens even though a lot of parents keep a solid schedule for their kids, from school to bedtime, eating, chores, homework, the list goes on, parents have a breakdown of all the activities of the day for their children, yet despite this seemingly tight schedule, their kids get addicted to video games.

To spot out addiction, look out for the following.

• When the child seems always preoccupied, depressed or lonely, this could be a sign of addiction
• When he sacrifices basic needs to pay video games. For instance, he would stay at home and play a game on a Saturday instead of going to a picnic with the family or would avoid sleep just to play video games. If this is the case, you need to be concerned.
• Another sign of addiction is when he gets explosive and angry when asked to stop playing. He will also get defensive when he is told that he is playing the game excessively. These are all signs of addiction.
• When he plays for hours on end. Sometimes you notice that you haven’t seen you son for almost the whole day. It could be because he spends the whole day in his room or in the basement playing video games. When you discover this, take it seriously, it is a sign of addiction.
• Kids with video games addictions are also always involved in conversations about the game. When you son speaks of the game incessantly, you need to look into his gaming habits.
• When he lies about the time he spends playing video games. When they are addicted, kids know that it is wrong to spend such amount of time playing video games, especially when they are supposed to be doing something important, so they lie about the time they spend playing to ease suspicion. If you find out your son is doing this, it is important that you keep him his gaming habits in check.

Why and How Do Kids Become Addicted to Video Games?

There are a number of reasons responsible for video game addiction, depending on the child. The reasons are not universally the same for all kids, different kids have different reasons for being consumed by video games, and it also has to do with the kind of game the child is addicted to.

1. Self-worth and Esteem

Sometimes the addiction comes from the feeling of self-worth every time the child wins a game. Every time he beats someone else at any of the games, there is that feeling of self-worth, making him feel that he is pretty good at something. This makes him motivated and increases his interest in the game.

2. Confidence and Self-fulfillment

Video games are addictive because they trigger the brain reward system, and shapes a child’s behavior. Being admired by friends for being a good player also massages the ego and feels good. Knowing that a surprise may be just around the corner makes it hard for a child to stop playing. For him, beating a high score or his friend’s score, getting in the leaderboard, getting points for killing an enemy or a monster, or moving up a level is very rewarding and fulfilling. This gives him a boost of confidence and a feeling of self-fulfillment.

3. Socialization

When kids play video games, especially massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), like ‘World of Warcraft’ they socialize, they interact with other players online in a world that is completely different and impossible to experience outside of the gaming arena. This can lead to addiction. The social element makes it more compulsive, and hard to quit. This is so because social gaming satisfies the human need for being in charge, feeling competent and feeling connected with others. Sometimes the child even feels that he is duty bound to go online and play because others rely on him or their clan needs them for a scrim.

Essentially it is the need to fulfill the briefly mentioned reasons above leading to contentious playing and eventually getting consumed by the game, therefore being addicted. There could be other reasons though.

Why is Video Game Addiction Bad for Your Child?

Video game addiction has the ability to affect your child’s 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 child’s 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.

How to Help Your Child Overcome Video Game Addiction

When you find out that your child is addicted to video games, you have to help him break away from it. Here is how:

1. Have a Conversation

First, have a conversation, talk to your child and put his video game habit in perspective. Let him understand that gaming is an entertainment, a way to pass time, it is not what life is all about. Make it clear to him that success in the gaming world is only imaginary, and it has nothing to do with real life success. So he has to focus on real-life activities and try to succeed in them.

2. Set the Rules

You have to limit his access to the game and regulate the time he spends playing the game. A good time would be one hour on a school day and two to three hours on weekends. Giving him leniency every once in a while can become a slippery slope, and your child will not take the rules seriously anymore.

3. Keep Him in Check

Track your child’s gaming time. When paying, kids get so consumed by the game they lose track of time and can pass hours on the screen without even knowing it. So logging your child’s game time can help you keep track of how much time he spends on the game.

3. Be Firm and Decisive

When you set the rules and limits for your child to regulate his playing habits, you have to stick by them. Be ready for the ‘I’m in the middle of a game’ protest and stand by your decision. Don’t bend the rules or it will become a habit. Impose punishments if need be. You can say things like “if you don’t shut that game down right now, I will reduce your game time to thirty minutes instead of one hour”. Be calm and kind, but firm and decisive.

4. Seek Help from a Specialist

If all the above steps are not working, then it’s time you talk to a specialist. Your child may need professional help and the earlier the better.

Video game addiction is a real problem, and your child needs your help to break free from it.