When the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized video game addiction as a disease in June of this year, parents’ anxiety increased. For many, the question arose: isn’t it easier to ban video games without waiting for a mental breakdown? We decided to figure out how to diagnose gambling addiction and when to start sounding the alarm.
WHO proposes three main criteria for diagnosing addiction:
- Computer games become more important for a person than everything else, because of them he neglects other activities and responsibilities.
- A person continues to play, even when this passion causes serious problems, he cannot or does not want to stop.
- Due to the passion for video games, a person has difficulties in relationships with friends and relatives, problems with study or work.
If the games drag on for only a few days, after which the person returns to normal life, then there is most likely no disorder. To be diagnosed as an addiction, pathological gambling must have lasted at least 12 months.
It is worth noting that the position of the WHO is not fully shared by American psychiatrists, who use a different manual for diagnosing mental disorders – the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5). The DSM-5 mentions “Online Gaming Disorder” but says more research is needed before it can be considered an official diagnosis.
WHO on its website recommends that all gamers remember that video game addiction is a real problem and reminds them that it is important to monitor how much time is spent on games. However, only a very, very small part of the players suffers from real addiction.
How to protect a child?
It is quite natural that many parents, having read such news, will cast a sidelong glance at their child’s game console or computer. “Parents generally should limit the time their child spends in front of the screen of any electronic devices: TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones,” says pediatrician Gina Posner, who works at the California Medical Center.
According to her, children under 18 months of age should not use electronics at all, and between the ages of 18 months and 5 years, it is better to spend no more than an hour a day in front of the screen. For children over six years old, the rules can be set by the parents at their discretion. “In any case, you should not let your child sit in front of the screen for more than two hours a day, and the less the better,” says the pediatrician.
Posner explains that in everything related to games and electronics, it is very important to set clear limits for the child. For example, to explain that he must first do his homework and play regular games for an hour before he can play computer games – and then only for a limited time.
When to beat the alarm?
If a child begins to resent that he is not allowed to play all day, this is an alarming sign – he clearly needs to play less.
“Treatment for video game addiction is usually based on cognitive-behavioral therapy, which takes place in two stages,” says Simon Rego, chief psychologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. At the first stage, it is important to show the child that his passion for games has become a problem, and also to understand what factors can aggravate or, conversely, weaken the addiction. The therapist will try to understand what kind of restless thoughts the child has when he stops playing, and what thoughts motivate him to continue playing.
As Rego explains, “The further goal of therapy is to help the child better control his behavior, first by reducing the addiction from the level of a pathology to the level of a problem, and then teaching him to manage the time he devotes to his hobby wisely.” You don’t have to give up video games entirely, but it’s important to learn to follow certain limits, such as only playing during the day at certain hours and with friends, rather than alone in your room at night.
If you suspect that your child has developed a video game addiction, it is worth seeking psychological help. Remember that medicine has only recently recognized the existence of this disorder, so you may have to look for a specialist who will undertake to treat it.
Source – Internet portal Yahoo!