What Is Gaming Addiction
The rise of the digital age has brought with it many new challenges for us to face as a society. And one such challenge is video gaming addiction. Sometimes called internet gaming addiction, it is characterized by an inability to control one’s gaming habits. This leads to a severe lack of care being given to the other aspects of one’s life.
You will have likely seen the stereotypical gaming addict in many TV shows and movies. Often a nerdy young man in his basement. Lit only by the computer screen. Old fast food wrappers and empty soda cans all around them. While this is more rare in reality, it isn’t totally untrue. Gaming addiction can very much lead to this type of living standards. One where basic hygiene, health, and socialisation are disregarded in favour of gaming.
Video gaming addiction has been on the rise in recent years. Especially since the Covid-19 pandemic. Modern video games are often designed to be as addictive as possible and target the younger generations. More and more we are seeing parents struggling to deal with their child’s gaming addiction.
Too many parents make the mistake of simply trying to stop their children gaming completely. But this is not the answer. This strategy will only make them resent you and likely cause them to relapse harder in adult life. This guide will walk you through the best ways of helping your children overcome their gaming addiction.
Limit Gaming Time
Cutting a child’s gaming time out completely is not the right answer. But you should be limiting it. Even if they aren’t addicted to video games it is a good idea to only allow them a few hours of gaming time a week. A good rule of thumb to go by is a maximum of an hour of gaming every night.
This doesn’t have to be a hard and set rule either. Perhaps on the weekends, providing they have done their chores and homework, they could get a few extra hours of gaming. The key here is to ensure that your children have a well rounded daily schedule of activities. Gaming can still be a part of their life. But it shouldn’t consume it.
Change The Games They Play
One of the main reasons that gaming addiction is becoming so common is due to the fact that a lot of the most popular games are designed to be as addictive as possible. Fortnite, for example, is designed to give players constant dopamine hits. It is bright, engaging, quick, and filled with instant gratification game loops. So it is no surprise that children quickly become addicted.
You need to better cater what games your children are allowed to play. Older titles are a good place to start as they were never designed to be addictive. Puzzle games are another great choice. Not only are they fun and engaging but also provide a good mental workout for your children too. You should also try getting your children to play the many free online games that can be found on web browsers. These titles are designed to be enjoyed in short bursts and often lack the addictive gameplay loops of bigger triple-A titles.
You should also try getting your children to play more board games or tabletop games. This is a great way to help satisfy their gaming itch while also reconditioning their brains. Board games, by nature, can’t provide as much instant gratification as a video game. But they still provide all the mental benefits of gaming. Helping to strengthen your children’s logical thinking and creativity.
Spend Quality Time With Them
A lot of children get so lost in gaming as a means of escaping the real world. Times are tough out there for everyone. Especially young children. Their gaming addiction could very well be a product of a deeper issue.
That is why it is so important that you spend as much quality time with your children as possible. Getting to know them. Their interests, dislikes, their thoughts and feelings. You should work to cultivate a safe environment for them. One where they feel comfortable coming to you with any issues they are having.