Video Game Addiction – Things Adults and Children Must Know
Addiction is a phenomenon that can be detected pretty easily by those who are around, but not by the one who is suffering from it. In terms of video games, addiction is seen as an uncontrolled amount of time spent playing the computer, when a gamer finds it hard to pause a game to satisfy his/her daily needs. Let’s look closer at what game addiction bears and what can be done about it.
Video Game Addiction Statistics
Of course, not everyone who plays computer games automatically becomes game addicted. It depends mostly on how prone this person is to any type of addiction itself. It’s also important to know the difference between being enthusiastic about something and being dependent on it, so take this into account before labeling someone or even yourself. For the past few years, it became increasingly common to include different variations of loot boxes in games which many countries consider as gambling. Just look at how similar is loot boxes tactics to slot games on Ufabet and other casino sites.
Even though, as it has already been said that addiction depends on personality, statistics show that some age and sex categories are exposed to addiction more than others. It is more common among men, boys especially, and approximately only 9% of all gamers are actually addicted.
How to Know If You’re Addicted to Video Games
The easiest way to recognize game addiction is paying attention to how it affects the life of the player. When gaming becomes the number one priority and all important tasks get left behind or constantly postponed, that’s when you have to start worrying about it.
Excessive time spent on gaming has also been known for having direct influence on the mood and its swings. Signs of depression, anxiety and irritability give out unpleasant changes in the brain. As stated by 918Kiss, extensive gaming can lead to gambling addiction in the future.
How to Help Your Kids Avoid Video Game Addiction
Kids are seen as the most vulnerable group in this case. Family, educational and social problems may lead to a child closing up from real world and their extreme desire to hide in the virtual reality, where these problems don’t exist.
There are some things you can do to help your child avoid becoming the victim of game addiction:
- Invest time and funds into your child’s talents and hobbies
- Encourage your child’s socializing
- More outdoor activities
In fact, the most useful things you can do if you notice that your child is turning into a fanatic player, is find some creative solution and help the child find additional sources of emotional unloading and communication.
How Video Game Addiction Is Treated
As a first step of treatment you may try following the steps that were pointed out in the previous paragraph. They might or might not work. In case you find them unhelpful, you may want to turn to a therapist, who can help determine the stage of addiction and how it can be treated. Remember that there is nothing wrong about talking to a specialist when a real problem arises.
Unfortunately, many addicted gamers are frequently diagnosed with bipolar disorders and other mental conditions, which have to be treated properly. There are many professionals who work in this field and can help you to find the right individual solution.