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Can video game Addiction be a sign of something else??

Heathergreener12's picture

SS13 like many kids play a lot of video games BUT I have to wonder if something else is going on. SS13 will play ALL day if allowed and miserable if forced to do anything else. 
 

So I guess I'm wondering how do you know what is "normal" teen video game playing kid VS a underlying Troubled teen trying to escape his problems???

Rags's picture

Crappy parenting.

AshMar654's picture

If you let kids play games all day gues what they will do all day. They will play vidoe games. Video games are addicting there have been studies.

Did you know there are ways to restrict thier playing? You set up limits with parental controls or even better put the console in a mutual area where you can monitor and when time limit is up he has no access. You can put an app on your phone and change the limit through out the day. The switch has it. Honestly no kid should have unlimited acces to vidoe games and be able to play all day whenever they want, guess what that is exactly what they will do.

My personal opinion, I do not like video games personally. My son plays he is 11 and we let him one day control himself on how much he played guess what he was on it all day. We took the gamin away for a week and now set the parental controls. Was he not happy, well duh!. Guess what we gave you a chance you blew it so now we have really strict play time. It really is simple to take the games away. Again he is 14 he hates everything parents do.

tog redux's picture

Technically, it's not addiction unless the gaming itself causes problems in his life, ie, he's gaming so much that his grades are poor, his family relationships are awful, he is unhealthy physically, never bathes - but your SS is 13, still at the age where parents should be intervening to stop the excessive gaming - so in your case, it's just poor parenting. As he gets older, he may well use it as an escape and have it become an addiction.

Someoneelse's picture

addictions don't HAVE to cause problems, my uncle is an alcoholic, but still maintained his job and family, but he would get SLOSHED everynight and would go and hide at family events and come back drunk and reeking of alcohol, but it never caused problems... still an alcoholic though. I warn my children that we have addictive personalities in our family on both sides of my family, and on both sides of theirs (their biological father's family has alcoholism as well), and they have to be careful because of that.

JRI's picture

My grandson was like the kids everyone describes.  Video games all the time, I mean 24/7.  I tried to talk to my daughter about it, no luck.  All I could do was look on and think, what a waste.  He and his friends were using substances, too.  He was in his early twenties, smart, good looking, good personality.

Long story short, he decided to make a change at about 24.  Got an online IT degree, got certifications and got a good job with a major company about 400 miles from here.  He's got an apartment, works from home mostly, doing well (from what I can tell).  He likes his job.

I give my daughter & son-in-law credit.  They dont parent like I do (more permissive) but have a close relationship with him and were there to give support when he decided to make a change. 

It's not hopeless, guys.

 

Sandybeaches's picture

Addiction in any form can certainly lead to something else.  So the short answer is yes.  Anyone that is addicted to anything always has the possibility of becoming addicted to something else.  Addiction itself is the diease not necessarily what they are addicted to.  

Now with that said, you would have to try to figure out if he is really addicted or just bored or a whole host of other reasons he may be playing so much.  Make him  stop for periods a day and do something else.  how he reacts would be a good place to start as to his level of having a problem. 

Also it doesn't have to interfere with his life to be an addiction or a problem as someone above mentioned  That used to be the school of thought but no longer true today.  Many people with serious addictions are high level functioning and never miss a day of work or have it cause a problem that is visible to the naked eye but is there still a problem?  Yes there is.  

I would start with some evaluation and go from there.  Find out why and also see how he reacts to taking a little break.  Could answer many questions.  

Heathergreener12's picture

SS is Completely Incapable of entertaining himself unless it's video games BUT both DH and BM are at SS Beck and call to entertain SS whenever he wants. So this being said I really don't think SS is bored. DH and  I are very Outdoorsy type people(fishing,hiking, Geocaching,biking). This is how SS was raised BUT never showed any interest.  Now it's pure Torture for SS to go on a short hike and he never did learn to ride a bike. Ok maybe the kid is not a outdoorsy type. So we have EVERY board game under the sun. SS hates board games. SS showed a TINY Interest in Robotics so DH signed SS up for a after school Activity and purchased a Robotic kit. SS went to three out of seven classes and never opened the kit. The older SS gets the less Interested he seems in anything except video games. SS has NO hobbies, never played a sport and few friends. All he wants to do is sit home all day playing video games. If you force him to do something else he's Miserable the whole time and just counting the minutes till he can get back to the video games

Sandybeaches's picture

I wonder does he have friends that he plays video games with?  Or is it games he plays alone or online with people he doesn't really know or live close?

I totally get what you are saying and forcing him would be super annoying for you and your DH.  Maybe tell him  that you and DH feel that a life of only video games is not a healthy balance and whether he understands that or not you and DH are going to add some variety to his life. 

So with that said he can either pick an activity that does not include video games that he would like to do or he can come along on whatever venture you and DH have picked out for the day.  The only rule he has to follow is that he doesn't get to complain all day as he had a chance to pick the activity and didn't so maybe next time he will.  Keep this up with him and after a while he get there is no choice except to pick something or deal with what is picked for him.

However, you will of course have to get your DH on board with the idea first in order to make it work.  

 

AgedOut's picture

My two were gamers. They still are but that's their wive's problem now lol. The key is to set limits. He plays 24/7 because his parents allow it. It's not always an addiction to gaming, it's more a parenting issue.