Avoiding Video Game Addiction

Dr. Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University, an expert on video game addiction, says, "The video games of the 21st Century may in some ways be more psychologically rewarding than the 1980s games in that they require more complex skills, improved dexterity, and feature socially relevant topics and better graphics." If these games offer greater "psychological rewards," players might be more at risk of developing an addiction, he said.

What caught my attention, however, was Dr. Griffiths' list of questions that should trigger parental concern:

1. Does your child play almost every day?
2. Does your child often play for long periods (over three to four hours at a time)?
3. Does your child play for excitement?
4. Does your child get restless and irritable if he or she can't play?
5. Does your child sacrifice social and sporting activities to play?
6. Does your child play instead of doing homework?
7. Does your child try to cut down his or her playing but can't?

If the answer is "yes" to more than four of these questions, parents are told that they should be concerned. In our case we answered "yes" to four. But in addition, we found our son losing his capacity to enjoy other, more healthy activities like sports and board games. Therefore, I suggest adding an eighth question to Dr. Griffiths' list:

8. Does your child seem to be losing interest in real-life activities?

Research on video game addiction goes back more than twenty years, when digital games were not nearly as appealing and realistic as today's variety. Still, the results all point in the same direction: a growing risk to our children.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Kurt and I are glad we made the tough decision to remove video games when we did. For our home it was the best option. But we also wish the problem had never surfaced. Unfortunately, we made all of the common mistakes that can feed video game addiction in children.

Mistake 1: 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 healthful foods. Similarly, kids also "acquire a taste" for how they want to spend their recreational time. 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 form of recreation.

Mistake 2: Easy Access

The vast majority of children over eight years old own their own video game system—more than one when you include handheld systems such as Game Boy. The risk of video game addiction increases dramatically when your child owns a system, because it is much harder to control the amount of time spent in an environment where it is readily available. Making matters worse, 49 percent of kids are allowed to keep the video game system in their bedrooms, where it is all but impossible to monitor time played.

As with any other behavioral addiction, easy and frequent access to the object of obsession makes it more difficult to avoid potential pitfalls. Therefore, if you fear your child might become addicted, seriously consider not purchasing a system. They can still play once in a while at a friend's home. If you do own a system, consider purchasing only group games or E-rated racing games, and treat the system like a board game that is kept in a box and brought out periodically for an hour or so, then boxed up and returned to the closet. Such approaches can drastically reduce the risk of obsession without totally eliminating games from a child's experience. Also try to stay away from games that are designed to be played alone for long periods of time.

Mistake 3: Using as a Reward System

Many parents admit that the promise of video game playtime is the only thing they have found that can successfully motivate their child to do homework, chores, and other productive activities. And while the benefit of completed school assignments and other tasks may seem like a positive aspect of video game obsession, the long-term negative consequences far outweigh any short-term gain. Using video games as a child's motivation for completing responsible activities subconsciously reinforces the notion that completing a job, reading, learning, etc., are necessary evils to endure rather than rewards in and of themselves. Other motivational rewards, such as money, an ice-cream date with Dad, or a movie outing, are far more effective and avoid feeding a propensity toward video game obsession.

Mistake 4: "One More Level?"

When asked to shut off the video game system, it is a rare child who obeys quickly and ceases play. Invariably, they respond instead with a plea for "just one more level" or time to defeat the current villain before they will "save my game." As a result, many parents end up allowing their child to spend much more time playing video games than they intended or often realize. As one recovering video game addict said, "If you say you intend to restrict the amount of time a child spends, you better ask yourself whether you can really do it. Kids are very good at pushing and pushing for more time." Time flies when kids play video games, in part because we parents fall into the "one more level" trap.

Mistake 5: Ignoring Your Gut

Many parents have a bad feeling about the amount of time their child spends playing, talking about, and thinking about video games. There is a nagging sense that allowing so much video game time may have long-term negative consequences. But they second-guess the feeling, writing it off as being old-fashioned or too strict, thinking, "It's just the way kids are nowadays!" Besides, they don't want the inevitable conflict that comes from restricting or removing the game system. But video game addiction affects a growing number of kids, especially boys. Parents know their child better than anyone else; I urge them to trust their gut and intervene if needed to help their child live a more fulfilling life.

Adapted from Playstation Nation by Olivia and Kurt Bruner. Copyright © 2006 by Olivia Bruner and Kurt Bruner. Used with permission of Little Brown and Company.

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