Video Game Addiction in Children is Real: Consult Your Pediatrician
for Assistance
Video game addiction is believed to be a
behavioral addiction like gambling, eating disorders, and
workaholism. Like any other type of addiction, video game
addiction will eventually affect every area of a child's life,
including his or her physical health, relationships, and schoolwork.
 Parents often try everything they can to
stop the addiction, such as parental
control software, punishments, rewards, and even cutting
children off from technology altogether. Unfortunately, once
addiction starts, it is a powerful disease requiring professional
help to begin the healing process.
While only a physician can diagnose video
game addiction, signs that your child is becoming too dependent
on video games, the Internet, or TV viewing may include:
- Video games and other screen time activities
are dominating your child's life
- Video games seem to give your child
a "high"
- Your child spends an increasing amount
of time on video games, the Internet, and TV, which causes
him or her to refuse participation in other activities
- Your child's video game playing, Internet
surfing, or television watching has led to conflict in the
household
While your child may seem to enjoy his or
her video game addiction, this condition actually causes a
lot of anguish. Deep down, children realize that excessive
screen time may threaten other important areas of life such
as grades, friendships, and freedom, but video game addiction
feeds upon itself and becomes larger than any child or parent
can handle. Often, all children in this situation know for
sure is that games make them feel better, so they play more,
only making the addiction worse.
The ultimate goal of Mikko's advanced
parental control is to help children self-regulate their
own video game use, but once a video game addiction has begun,
parents should seek professional medical help as soon as possible.
When accompanied by a physician's care, the Mikko Que may
be a good way to show children how to slowly reduce their
screen time to healthy levels.
For more information about managing excessive
screen time with the Mikko Que, please contact us today.
Media Management for Children
... It's time.
|
