VIDEO GAME ADDICTION: 6 CONSEQUENCES AND TREATMENT - ECONOMÍA - 2024

The video game addiction is the need to play a game to feel good mentally and physically. When the addicted person does not gamble for a long period of time, they have symptoms similar to those of the withdrawal syndrome; restlessness, anxiety, or need to play

Children and young people spend many hours a day in front of the console, while their parents worry about the hours that are not dedicated to study or other activities, such as sports for example.

However, there are things you can do to avoid this situation. Read on to learn more about this type of addiction and how to avoid it or reduce its negative consequences.

Differences between video game addiction and hobby

Video games can be very entertaining and even didactic. Many encourage abstract thinking, others practice fine motor skills, and the list of benefits can be extensive.

However, when a child cannot "detach" from the console and spends long hours in this activity, then it stops being a game and becomes an addiction.

When a child has become an addict, as with any other addiction, he loses his freedom and his health is at risk.

Identifying the boundary between use and abuse

Holidays arrive and with them increases the amount of time that children spend playing video games. But what is the time limit they must play to avoid addiction?

The Mental Health Institute of Peru, precisely released a statement in this regard.

Through it, the aim is to raise awareness in parents, so that they control the time their children spend with video games. Limiting that time is key to preventing gambling from becoming an addiction.

In general terms, it can be said that no child or adolescent should spend more than four hours a day playing on the console. If this time is exceeded, it is possible that there is some type of pathology involved.

How do you know if your teenager has become addicted to video games? If you notice that you have stopped worrying about your diet or even personal hygiene, then the problem may be serious.

If you have children who spend many hours playing video games and you see that they spend hours without expressing that they are hungry, or if you talk to them and they do not respond, then it is probably time to set limits.

In other cases and when the situation has already increased, signs of fatigue, changes in sleep schedules and even behavior disorders may appear.

In the event that the addiction is added to some type of disorder such as anxiety or depression, the picture becomes more serious.

Sometimes family or social problems can lead to addiction. In such situations, professional intervention is necessary.

Consequences of video game addiction

As with any addiction, if your children fall into it, they lose freedom and their whole life can be upset. Next we see how addiction to video games can alter a person's life.

It is worth bearing in mind that adolescents are the population most vulnerable to suffering from this type of addiction.

Loss of track of time

The addict's main focus of attention is the computer / laptop, the smartphone or the video game. As your addiction deepens, stop attending events with friends or family.

If you notice that your teenager is limiting his environment more and more and makes excuses not to go out, he may be suffering the consequences of addiction.

Decreased academic performance

School performance can decrease significantly. Addicted kids study less, since the hours that they used to spend studying at home are now dedicated to video games.

On the other hand, the quality of time in the classroom is also lower. Sleep and eating disorders negatively influence attention and concentration skills.

Thus begins a vicious cycle, because when the first low grades arrive, the addict is demotivated. What little attention the study devoted to it is likely to decline further.

In some cases, teenagers addicted to video games end up dropping out of school.

Family arguments or problems

If you confront your child and raise the problems that the video game addiction is causing, there will surely be arguments.

In other cases, the family is unaware of the problem and only notices that there have been changes in their child's behavior, without knowing why. If there is not good communication, this can cause distancing and misunderstanding.

Economic problems

If your son works, but has become addicted to video games, he may put his position at risk.

Sleep disturbances can affect work performance, and addiction can lead to late arrivals and absences from work.

Physical health problems

In addition to mental health, clearly distorted by addiction, the body also feels the consequences of it. So much time of stillness and sedentary lifestyle, generate conditions prone to obesity.

Problems such as hypertension and heart disease are more common in children and adolescents who spend a lot of time with video games.

How to avoid addiction to video games?

The solution is not to eliminate or outright ban video games. In fact, when a person does it within reasonable limits, playing video games can have certain benefits.

The problem is the extremes. The goal is always to be able to enjoy this activity and not be a slave to it.

If you are a parent of children or adolescents and are concerned about a possible problem of video game addiction, we give you the following recommendations:

Control and limit exposure times

Clearly explain to your children what exactly the new rules will be in this regard. The time to play will be limited. It's even a good idea to explain the serious consequences that can occur if they play too long.

It is important that you do not give in to protests and stick to the rules you have proposed.

Don't use video games as a babysitter

When you are tired, have little time or feel that your children drive you out of the boxes, do not see yourself tempted to entertain them with the console. As an adult who sets limits to educate your children, your actions must be consistent with what you say.

If you let them play longer than established when it suits you, then you will not be respecting the limit. So you can't expect your kids to respect it.

To have moral property and exercise full authority, you have to lead by example.

You are the owner of the console

In the family, each member has a role:

Adults are responsible for each one fulfilling theirs. In the specific case of the video game, you are the owner of the console, so you must control its use.

Think about the following:

Would you put a weapon in the hands of your children? Despite the differences, a console that is not used properly can also cause serious damage to the lives of your children.

Therefore, you must be in control.

Regulate the purchase of video games

Playing the same video game all the time can be boring. Do not buy new games and prevent your children from doing so. In this way, you will somehow be demotivating the use of the console.

Suggest alternative activities

If you are going to limit the time your children spend in front of the console, you can propose alternative activities for them to entertain themselves in their free time. Sports, board games, or activities like drawing or painting can be great ideas.

It is also not bad that your children get a little bored at first. Boredom can stimulate their imagination and lead them to create new games or to think about new activities they would like to do.

In short, to prevent your children from becoming addicted to video games, you should limit the time they spend in front of the console and suggest other types of entertainment.

And always remember that the first person who must respect this limit is yourself, no matter how much video games help you to entertain your children while you rest.

And do you have family members with a video game addiction?