Teenage Gaming Addiction Increasing
Study Finds 10 Percent of Children Addicted to Internet Games
Apr 24, 2009
The study compared youth gaming habits to the symptoms of pathological gambling established in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
The study, Pathological Video Game Use Among Youth Ages 8 to 18: A National Study, will be published in the May edition of Psychological Science. It was written by Douglas Gentile, assistant professor of psychology at Iowa State University.
“When brain imaging scans are done, the gaming acts the way drugs do in the brain,” said Thomas Benner, executive director of Addiction Recovery Services, a Columbia, Md., company. “We look at it like other addictions.”
Addiction Warning Signs in Teens
Benner said children are getting addicted to games online where they assume a character and take on a new identity. They are getting respect from their peers, and their self-esteem is increased. Often, the addiction is a sign that something else is happening at home, he added.
Parents concerned about their children can look for warning signs. Benner said they are the same for alcohol and drug addictions. Signs include:
- Lying to family and friends
- Hiding from family
- Irritable if they can’t play
- Grades in school decline
- Skipping class
- Don’t want to eat
- Become aggressive
- Lock themselves in their rooms
- Playing games instead of doing homework
- Using games to escape problems at home
According to the study, children show at least six of the warning signs.
Benner said often a traumatic event triggers the addiction, but a genetic component, such as a parent with alcohol addictions, can make it more likely that the child will experience addiction at some point in life.
Parents Must Get Involved With Addicted Teens
To help the adolescent overcome the addiction, therapists have to get the family involved. If parents resist therapy, the treatment will not be effective, Benner said. Parents often ignore their own problems, but they have to be aware of their own history in order to be able to help their children effectively.
Parents should keep an open line of communication with their children. They should see gaming addiction as a creative way to solve emotional problem. They should be willing to participate in family therapy and get help for their own problems. They also should look for programs at schools to identify at risk children. Both parents should be on the same page when it comes to setting limits, Benner noted.
Video game and online game addictions are on the rise, the study said. Addiction Recovery Services also has seen an increase in the last few years. Parents should be aware of the signs, the study and Benner concluded.
