The video game addiction it is the need to play a video game to feel good mentally and physically. When the addicted person does not gamble for a long period of time, they have withdrawal symptoms; 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.
Article index
Video games can be very entertaining and even educational. Many encourage abstract thinking, others practice fine motor skills, and the list of benefits can be extensive.
However, when a child can not "detach" from the console and spends long hours in this activity, then it stops being a game to become an addiction.
When a child has become an addict, as with any other addiction, he loses his freedom and his health is at risk..
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 Institute of Mental Health of Peru, precisely launched a statement in this regard.
Through it, the aim is to raise awareness among 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 your 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 passed to greater, signs of fatigue, change 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.
As with any addiction, if your children fall into it, they lose freedom and their whole life can be upset. Below we see how video game addiction can alter a person's life.
It is worth bearing in mind that adolescents are the most vulnerable population to suffer this type of addiction.
If your child is addicted to video games, he can spend hours in front of the computer or mobile device without having a notion of time.
When he can't play, he just thinks about when he will be able to play again. In extreme cases, addicts no longer know whether it is day or night. They can spend all night playing and sleep only when they can no longer resist sleep.
Time guidelines for meals are also lost.
The addict's main focus of attention is the computer / laptop, the smartphone or the video game. As 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.
School performance can significantly decrease. Addicted kids study less, because the hours 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 becomes demotivated. The little attention that the study devoted to it is likely to diminish even more.
In some cases, teens addicted to video games end up dropping out of school.
If you confront your child and raise the problems that video game addiction is causing, there will surely be discussions.
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.
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 is capable of causing late arrivals and absences from work.
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.
The solution does not go through eliminating or outright banning video games. In fact and when a person does it within certain 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 you are concerned about a possible problem of video game addiction, we give you the following recommendations:
Clearly explain to your children what exactly the new rules will be in this regard. The time to play will be limited. It is even a good idea to explain the serious consequences that can arise if they play too long..
It is important that you do not give in to protests and stick to the rules you have proposed.
When you are tired, have little time or feel that your children drive you out of the boxes, do not be 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 must lead by example.
In the family, each member has a role:
Adults are responsible for ensuring that each one complies with 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.
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, in some way you will be demotivating the use of the console.
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 such as drawing or painting can be very good ideas.
It is also not bad that your children get a bit bored at first. Boredom can stimulate their imagination and can lead them to create new games or to think about what new activities they would like to do..
In summary, 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 video game addiction?
Yet No Comments