One of the common activities that you will find children and teenagers doing is playing video games. With the various devices that are present today, it is more convenient for anyone to play their favorite game at any place.  

However, parents and guardians need to be careful because there is a thin line between being invested and addicted to video games. Here are some of the signs that could mean that your children or teenagers are addicted to video games.

No interest in other activities

You can tell that a teenager is addicted to video games when they are no longer interested in activities that they previously enjoyed. They might give different excuses for not wanting to engage themselves in those activities. Rather, they will prefer to spend most of their time playing video games without the feeling of exhaustion.

Drop in academic performance

There might also be a decline in academic performance when a teenager is struggling with video game addiction.

The teenager will become less interested in their academics because they are more focused on their video games. Hence, they are likely to even play games when they have tests or assignments.

Withdrawal symptoms

Just like substance addiction, people addicted to behaviors might also experience withdrawal symptoms when they are unable to engage in their addictive behaviors.

When the teenager is unable to play video games for a period, they might become anxious, irritable, restless, angry, unable to sleep, etc.

Inability to reduce playing time

Addicted teenagers may find it easy to cut down on their playing time when it comes to video games. Even when their parents try to put some measures in place to control their playing time, they will find a way to keep playing the video games.

Using video games to manage negative emotions

Another sign of video game addiction is when your child uses it to escape from a painful reality or to treat negative emotions. Hence, if they are feeling uneasy, depressed, sad, etc, their inability to get better depends on gaming.

Today, video gaming addiction has become as rampant as compulsive gambling, where players are always striving to win.

Gone are the days when video games were limited to arcades, but now, video games are easily accessible on smartphones, personal computers, gaming devices, etc. This has accentuated the increase of video gaming addiction among children, teens, and adults.

New games are being developed daily with new adventures, new features, more complex tasks, all to ensure the user continues to play.

Although, the idea of video gaming addiction is disputed among people, some view video games as having positive impacts. We must prescribe treatment for this growing illness in the world.

A child or an adult can begin to experience withdrawal from other people physically and psychologically, only wanting to play video games. They can also experience poor performance at work or school as a result of long hours spent playing video games.

Addiction to video games can, therefore, be treated in different ways;

• Control The Time Spent On Games

This can be the most difficult and important means of treating video game addiction because every other effect is due to the long hours spent on games.

Therefore, controlling the time spent by such a person playing video games will help detach him/her from the game. You can do this by setting a certain number of hours such person is allowed to play video games.

• Engage The Person With Physical Activities

Usually, video game addicts are so preoccupied with this virtual world that they do not regard physical activities anymore.

Regardless, engaging them in various interesting and fun physical activities could help detach them from the video game. Such that, they will learn to interact again physically with others, it could be a daily exercise.

• Seek Professional Help

In some instances, you might need to seek the help of a professional in dealing with video game addiction. You can ask your doctor or therapist how best to treat addiction to video games in your child or an adult.

Video gaming is a fun recreational activity, that can become addictive if caution is not placed on the time spent on it.

In case of addiction, steps should immediately be taken to treat such addiction and those mentioned above will be of great help. You can also avoid placing phones or gadgets in your bedroom to prevent night gaming.

Video gaming is one thing that generates a lot of negative press, parents are often advised to reduce the gaming time of their children. But mostly, emphasis is placed on the negative impacts of video gaming and only a few people do justice to its positive impacts.

Thus, this article aims to discuss some positive impacts of video gaming, or what is referred to as the good side of video gaming.

It is no secret that are different kinds of video gaming; sports games, arcade, shooting games, cooking games, fashion, so many.

Just as each one could harm a gamer, so also does each have positive effects on the gamer. These effects could vary based on the individual, the kind of video game, and the time spent.

Therefore, some benefits of video gaming include;

• Builds Cooperation and Teamwork

Video games can be a source for children or individuals to learn teamwork and cooperation. For games with multiplayer and teams, gamers often team up together to attack or defeat an opponent. This act can imbibe the act of cooperation and teamwork, vital traits in the life of an individual. 

• Tech Savvy

Technology is constantly evolving and it can get difficult to keep track of everything that is happening. But one easy way to remain informed about technology and to be able to operate new tech is by playing video games. Developers use tech like AI, VR to develop video games which makes a gamer familiar with such technologies.

• Improve Motor Skills

This applies to racing games, which indirectly teaches an individual the basics of driving. Therefore, one gain of video gaming is that it improves the motor skills of a person, especially regarding racing games.

• Improve Problem-Solving Skills

Video games can also act as an avenue for people to improve their problem-solving skills, reading skills and even math skills. Some investigative or critical thinking games invariably adds to the problem-solving ability of a person.

Video games could also help improve the self-confidence of a person, usually as he/ she advances in levels or ranks.

It brings a sense of self-esteem to an individual who continues to surpass levels upon levels. Therefore, despite its negative consequences video gaming has numerous good sides which can be embraced to develop an individual or gamer.

Compared to alcohol and drug addiction, video game addiction is a much more recent malady slowly taking over the modern society. The World Health Organization added “gaming disorder” to the 2018 version of its medical reference book.

Video games are habit-forming, and you must consciously decide to end the practice. If you let them take over your life it, you could be addicted and even become dysfunctional.

Addiction to video games can be very harmful to one’s well-being and social life. The following tips detail how to avoid becoming addicted, and how to recover if already addicted.

Understand the Impact.

Identifying the adverse effects of the compulsion to play video games will help you focus on ways to improving and getting back to healthy hobbies and activities. One way to check if the issue is getting out of control is to reflect on:

• When was the last time you read a book?
• How many hours a day do you spend playing games?
• Do you normally go out on the weekend?

If you are powerless to complete daily routine activities, then it’s time to pause and take conscious decisions.

Take Responsibility.

There is a tendency to blame the manufacturers of the games but the problem lies within the individual, not the game. No attempt at beating ‘addiction’ can succeed until you take the first step of realizing there’s a problem and deciding that the place you’re in is not working for you. Remember, it is not the existence of video games, nor the content of games, but the person who chooses to play them.

Monitor and Set limits.

If you resolve that you have one hour per day to spend playing games, stick to that and select your games accordingly. If you are playing a game that needs many hours of play it is better to consider a different type of game.

You are a parent you need to take control. If your children do not listen to you, removal of the game console or setting of administrative control on the computer may allow you to better handle the problem. Open ended games like Civilization, World of Warcraft, or Evil Genius could be a warning sign.

Stay positive.

While it is important to recognize the harmful results of the addiction problem, if you are taking action to address it, it is also useful to pay attention to the goal and progress that you have made. With appropriate help and support from family and friends, it is possible to get control of the problems before it gets out of hand.

Video games can be an enjoyable part of someone’s day when played as a healthy recreational activity. However, the games which started out as short entertainment episodes gradually evolved to immerse many children, teens, and adults with this new pastime and even addiction.

With an increasing evidence the video game addiction is now considered as a process addiction similar to compulsive gambling where the excitement of winning is the main motivations for playing.

Dangerous Effects

It is also studied that some people experience compulsions that make this apparent pastime to interfere with everyday activities and responsibilities and job performance. For teenagers in school, grades may suffer if they spend too much time playing games and neglect studying. Employment could be in jeopardy if they play games during work time. Friendships and family relationships may be affected when they spend more time with video games and less time interacting with friends and family.

Physical health may also be impacted when a person continuously uses a computer or a game console. Health issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome affects hands and wrists while headaches, back issues and eye problems are other complaints generally reported by gamers. Lack of physical activity due to the sedentary lifestyle could develop weight issues along with other related health problems. In addition, the compulsive behavior of gamers can cause emotional problems, with depression among the top issue for gamers.

A gamer may express anger or irritability more often, particularly when anyone intrudes in their gaming time. On the other hand, when they are away from their game, they are likely have feelings of anxiety and disturbed. In some instances, gaming could become so uncontrollable that they forget to bathe, eat, and sleep.

Video Game Addiction and Warning Signals

People experiencing compulsions to play video games typically exhibit warning signs. Common signs of a problem include a preoccupation with video games to the point of neglecting relationships and responsibilities. Signals to watch for include:

• Thinking about gaming all or a lot of the time.
• Needing to spend more and more time playing to feel good.
• Feeling bad when you can’t play.
• Not wanting to do other things that you used to like.
• Not being able to quit or even play less.
• Having problems at work, school, or home because of your gaming.

Need to seek help

If a compulsion to play games gets out of control and become an issue, it is important to seek to resolve these feelings. Treatment is available which includes behavioral therapy. Regular treatment can help a gamer move past the video game addiction and control the urges. Therapy helps the compulsive person refocus their time and energy on different activities including healthy hobbies.

Game addiction is a rising form of addiction which is prevalent among teenagers. It is something which many parents are worried about because of the detrimental effects which follow.

A teenager who is addicted to games, particularly video games would have an obsessive behavior They would always want to return to the game, and they show irritable and aggressive behavior when they do not have access to the game.

An addicted teenager would find it difficult to sleep. Hence, when it is in the early hours of the day, they are up already, and playing their favorite game.

This obsessive acts results in sleep deprivation, which is disadvantageous to a developing mind. When they go to school the next day, their learning and attention is affected.

Teenagers who are addicted to video games would definitely have other physical problems. Some of them would complain of headaches, back aches and the likes. This happens because, addicted gamers are always oblivious of their personal hygiene.

One of the ways to handle gaming addiction in teenagers, is to talk to them about how life works. You need to explain to them that, there is more to life than having an obsessive desire for games.

They should also be aware that, any success attained in the gaming world is not real, and it does not translate to reality.

You should also set a reasonable time for your child to play games. You can decide to allot one hour per day, and around 2-3hours each weekend.

Doing this would be teaching your child the essence of priorities. The rules regarding the time for games each day should be very strict and not infringed on.

Also, you should not make the mistake of giving more gaming hours to your child as a form of reward, it is best to look to other means. You should also have some disciplinary measures in place, in case your child does not stick to your rules.

Putting all these measures in place would help in preventing gaming addiction, and if your child is already addicted, it can still be effectively controlled.

Video game addiction is a mental health condition which is affecting lots of lives today. Basically, it is a gaming disorder defined by the International Classification of Diseases, as an outline of continuous or repeating gaming behaviour, which could take place either online or offline, and it is evident by the inability to have control over gaming.

Many people in the world play video games, not everyone happens to be addicted. The major difference between taking gaming as a hobby and an addiction, is the adverse effect which it has on your life.

Basically, an addict would have a certain level of severity which would cause great impairment in the major important areas of your life. Luxury rehabs can help with gaming addictions.

The major signs of video game addiction are as follows:

• Preoccupation: A video game addict would always cast his mind back to the erstwhile gaming activity, and he would always be expectant of playing the coming game. Before he knows it, it becomes a major activity in his daily life.

• Withdrawal symptoms: When the addict happens to be taken away from the act of gaming for a while, there are some symptoms experienced. He would be sad, feel the cravings to play the video game, he would also experience boredom and anxiety.

• No interest in former hobbies: The video game addict would discover that, former activities which keep him thrilled, would no longer excite him. The only thing he thinks about, is video games, as it is the only activity which can keep him ecstatic.

• Sustained excessive usage: Some video game addicts are aware of the effect of continued excessive use of video games, but they would still continue playing, despite their knowledge.

• Deceiving those around him: For the fear of not having those around him complain, the video game addict would have most likely cooked up different stories to trick those who are close to him.

• A medium to relieve negative disposition: Video game addicts see video games as their safe haven, which they can always utilize in helping them get over a negative mood or feeling.