Page 18 - PR Mag Aug19

Dear Alice

Gaming Addiction

Dear Alice,
My son is 13 years old and last Christmas we got him a game console and he set it up in his room. Progressively
throughout the year he has been spending more and more time in his room playing the games. It’s gotten
to the point now where he doesn’t come out for tea and I end up bringing him his food. I’m worried that he
is socially isolated and isn’t getting enough sleep. Should I just ban it?

- Deb

Hi Deb,
Great question! Before I get into it let me just share what some of what the research has to say about gaming. A reasonable amount
of gaming, particularly when people play online with others, has proven to be a protective factor against some issues like social
isolation. Sometimes online gaming acquaintances are the only community people are a part of. On the other hand, excessive
gaming and screen time has been linked to a significant negative impact on overall health and well-being. Some people even suffer
with gaming addictions. If gaming is something that your son enjoys, there’s no need to ban it entirely. You do however need to
make drastic changes (and be prepared for some push back). First of all, bedrooms should ideally be for resting only, so take the
game console out of his bedroom and put it somewhere you can monitor. Next you will need to cut back the amount of time he is
allowed to spend on it. Just like any addiction, it’s best to build alternative pro-social uses of time to replace the bad habit before
you remove it. You could encourage your son to find other activities that he enjoys, such as playing a tabletop role-playing game.
I would also recommend clearly defining your expectations and using the console as a reward. For example: I expect that you do
your homework and eat dinner with the family and then afterwards you can game for a few hours. Another idea could be to set
a bed time and enforce that there is to be no screens an hour before bed. Young people thrive when they have clear boundaries
which are consistently enforced. It teaches them that the world is predictable and reliable; there is a cause and an effect. Your son
may not like your rules in the moment, but it is important to model appropriate uses of time and teach him that life is made up of
fun times and fulfilling responsibilities. Just like all good things, moderation is key. If you are interested in finding out how other
parents deal with the same problem, start a conversation with the other parents at school. Best of luck to you!

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