Is Gaming Addiction an Issue You Should be Concerned About?

Your child may love his or her video games - like any normal child - but when does an affinity for gaming turn into an addiction? This is a question that health professionals have been researching and trying to answer in recent years with the explosion in popularity of video games. But is gaming addiction a real disorder? Or is it just an easy label for a child loving their games a bit too much?

Gaming addiction is believed to be on par with other behavioral disorders, such as gambling addictions, workaholism, and eating disorders. The American Medical Association has devoted research to this topic and has found that there are "concerns about untoward side effects (from video gaming), ranging from physical symptoms such as seizures and tendonitis, to socially maladaptive behaviors such as increased short-term aggressiveness and overuse syndromes."

Whether or not gaming addiction is recognized as an official disorder, parents of children dealing with this issue know all too well that it can still cause serious problems in all aspects of a youngster's life - mental and physical health, relationships, performance in school, behavior, and more. There are a number of warning signs that can alert you that your child might be suffering from a gaming addiction, such as your child receiving a "high" from playing, abandoning other activities or responsibilities to play, getting into arguments over their playing time, or having their life dominated by their gaming.

Whether you've witnessed these symptoms or not, you should always talk to your doctor if you are worried that gaming addiction or Internet addiction might be an issue for your child. Medical help can aid you in halting a video game addiction, but the Mikko Que aims to give parents another tool to help them teach their children responsible media consumption and time management skills. Combined with the care of your doctor, the Mikko Que can potentially help you set up an effective method to manage your child's screen time in a healthy way.

For more information on the Mikko Que and how it can help with potential gaming addiction and allow you to monitor and control your child's screen time with the Internet, TV, video games, and more, contact us today.

Media Management for Children ... It's time.