At first glance you may think, “Well, this doesn’t apply to me because my child has stayed away from alcohol and drugs. So I don’t have to worry about them having an addiction.” However, I am not talking today about substance abuse but about a very real addiction to electronic games. As one parent expressed to Dr. Charles Fay, “My typically nice and responsible kid turns into a monster after he plays his computer games.”
Now I’m not saying all kids who play video games are turning into monsters because that’s just not true. But many children do become truly addicted, with all the signs and symptoms: can’t wait to play the next game, experience very real withdrawal symptoms if prevented from playing, become moody and irritable if their game time is interrupted, use manipulation in an attempt to get their next “fix”, and become more and more isolated from family members. Compared to the excitement of video games, life can seem like a real downer.
But what can you do as parents to combat this trend? I want to make a couple of suggestions.
1) Set enforceable limits. This may be a certain amount of time each day after homework is completed. Or it may be tied to their behaviors and interactions with others in the family. Parents need to be united in their approach and not hesitate to remove these games from their home when they are problematic.
2) Strive to replace electronics with relationship. Spend time connecting with your kids in activities such as hiking, biking, playing games, skiing, going to the beach, and so on.
Opportunities are endless and building trusting relationships when your kids are younger can have big payoffs in their teen years and beyond. And they will be less likely to become addicted to technology.