1. All Articles
Back to School You Say- or Gaming
Nov
Moms are saying to me ” Ok so its September and my son has already missed 5 days of school, he gamed all summer and doesn’t seem to be motivated” what can I do ?”
Wikipedia describes- Video games- They’re highly interactive and can engage players to such an extent that they easily forget about the time and their environment. Many video games, particularly massively multiplayer online role-playing games and social network and mobile games, rely on a “compulsion loop” or “core loop”, a cycle of activities that involve rewarding the player and driving them to continue through another cycle, keeping them in the game. The anticipation of such rewards can create a neurological reaction that releases dopamine into the body, so that once the reward is obtained, the person will remember it as a pleasurable feeling and want more.
There is really no guideline to when a child should be introduced into the game world. Children have their own game of rights passage. There comes a time when a parent will know that their child is developed enough emotionally and socially and is ready for video games. But there’s a continuum of behavior, Just because you have a hard time tearing your child away from Minecraft doesn’t mean he’s “addicted. But in some cases kids can have serious issues with technology — whether it’s gaming, social media or something else — that require professional help. If your kid is using tech to the exclusion of things like sleeping, friends and school and can’t change his or her way, it may be time to seek out help.
Pay attention to these signs:
Lowered interest in school achievement, Feelings of anger and frustration when not allowed access to the video game, Feeling depressed or anxious when not playing the game (especially for a prolonged period), Thinking about the next gaming session when not online, Dreaming about the game, Experiencing calmness, peacefulness, or euphoria while playing (especially if these emotions are not experienced otherwise), Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, Downplaying the impact of the excessive habits (“It’s not as bad as using drugs”), Justifying excessive use (“Others play more than I do”), Excessive frustration or anxiety when “the server is down”, Distorted perception of time (e.g., suddenly realizing that several hours have passed in what seemed like just one hour), Difficulty abstaining from video games for more than a few days, Experiencing a loss of personal control while playing, Feelings of guilt or regret after spending much more time than intended with the game.
Physical Symptoms, Sleep difficulties or significant change in sleep patterns Decreased personal hygiene, Poor or irregular eating habits (e.g., waiting until extremely hungry before eating),Headaches, Dry or red eyes, Sore fingers, neck, or back, Poor physical health or weight gain, Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Decreased academic performance (related: see a complete summary of child video game addiction), Less time spent on homework and studying, Aggression towards those who prevent or attempt to limit access to the video game, Frequently playing the game while neglecting important responsibilities, Spending more and more time with the video game, Playing at the first available opportunity (e.g., as soon as getting home from work or school), An inability to quit despite attempts to do so, Saying up late into the night to play, Eating meals while playing or skipping meals entirely, When not playing, discussing the video game in online forums, Large amounts of money spent on new games, expansion packs, micro-transactions, and computer upgrades, Occasional gaming “binges” of 10 or more hours nonstop.
A lot the youth I talk to are stuck in a pattern of use and usually describe their struggle like: school is scary, hard and don’t want to make new friends. They also tell me that it is a great experience to compete with people that you don’t need to meet in person.
This tells me that most kids are having difficulty transitioning to the next level of life, growing up and learning responsibility and they are just stuck in the idea ” I will stop on Monday” I will do better.
As is true for any addiction, recovery can be very difficult, slow moving, and can seem impossible, but you do not need to accept that your child is destined to be addicted to video games. For some children, it may require drastic measures to break the addiction, some a life coaching impact has been very successful to break cycles and teach kids the awareness and have them inquisitive about life they don’t know yet.
However, if your child is addicted to video games and you are committed to taking the necessary steps by enforcing healthy limits, there is no reason why the addiction has to remain in their life.
If there is a bright spot with regard to childhood video game addictions, it is that as a parent, ultimately you still have a great deal of influence and control over your child ad with help can stop the cycle.
Linda
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://infidelityrecoveryinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/1969146_10152256746900498_1384919852_n.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Linda Jane Devlin, Interventionist , CIP, I.C.A.D.C.- “I have worked in the field of healthcare for twenty years and have seen the destruction that addiction has and can have on the most amazing people in this world.” Contact Linda [/author_info] [/author] [/et_pb_text][et_pb_social_media_follow admin_label=”Social Media Follow” global_module=”4661″ link_shape=”rounded_rectangle” background_layout=”light” url_new_window=”off” follow_button=”off” saved_tabs=”all”] [et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”youtube” url=”https://www.youtube.com/user/InfidelityCoaching” skype_action=”call” bg_color=”#a82400″] Youtube [/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”facebook” url=”https://www.facebook.com/InfidelityRecoveryInstitute/” skype_action=”call” bg_color=”#3b5998″] facebook [/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”pinterest” url=”https://www.pinterest.com/IRInstitute/” skype_action=”call” bg_color=”#cb2027″] Pinterest [/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”google-plus” url=”https://plus.google.com/+SavannahEllis/posts” skype_action=”call” bg_color=”#dd4b39″] Google+ [/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”twitter” url=”https://twitter.com/IRInstitute” skype_action=”call” bg_color=”#00aced”] Twitter [/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”linkedin” url=”https://www.linkedin.com/company/infidelity-recovery-institute” skype_action=”call” bg_color=”#007bb6″] LinkedIn [/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”rss” url=”https://infidelityrecoveryinstitute.com/feed/” skype_action=”call” bg_color=”#ff8a3c”] RSS [/et_pb_social_media_follow_network] [/et_pb_social_media_follow][et_pb_code admin_label=”Code”]<div id=”zergnet-widget-42616″></div> <script language=”javascript” type=”text/javascript”> (function() { var zergnet = document.createElement(‘script’); zergnet.type = ‘text/javascript’; zergnet.async = true; zergnet.src = ‘http://www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=42616’; var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0]; znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr); })(); </script>[/et_pb_code][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
