Excessive playing of video games can pose a danger to young people. Establishing some rules is essential to protect them. Zoom in on the signs of this form of dependence, possible treatment and prevention solutions.

It is mainly young people who are exposed to video game addiction. However, cases of serious pathological addiction are quite rare. The greatest risks of addiction concern network games and in particular multi-player role-playing games. It is considered that there is addiction to video games when the player engages in this type of occupation excessively, that is to say from about thirty hours per week, much more than the time consecrated by the hardcore gamers – or big players – to their passion, namely between 18 and 20 hours per week.

Parents should be alerted to certain signs, as the symptoms of video game addiction are usually always the same. We note, for example, suddenly declining school results, a lack of interest in any other type of activity but also in social relationships (friends and family). In fact, playing video games in the context of an addiction takes up most of the time, since the subject is unable to reduce the time he devotes to games. This to the detriment of other activities that he was passionate about, however, such as sport, cinema, music, the visual arts or quite simply outings with friends. Young people tend to isolate themselves and no longer wish to leave their home.

When you notice changes in behavior in your child, it is important to look for the source. This can be totally foreign to the passion for video games.

We can see repercussions on his sleep because the player Addict tends to play even at night, shortening their rest time. Sometimes addiction can also affect the balance of food.

A fragile person who has an addiction to video games risks, in the absence of support, sooner or later finding himself in a state of mental suffering and great solitude. This results in obvious discomfort. In rare cases, a Addict playing video games can become extremely sad or aggressive.

If nothing is done to allow him to break with his addiction, the young person is gradually exposed to academic failure and to desocialization. He can, in the more or less long term, lose his self-esteem.

As we have seen, addiction to video games can have significant repercussions on the mental and physical health of young pathological gamers, but it is still uncommon. Reacting as quickly as possible is essential to limit the impact of this dependence. The addict to games cannot be limited by itself. On the other hand, the control of the time spent playing must be carried out by the parents.

It is essential that they establish a dialogue with their child, during which video games must be approached without taboos. It is also a good solution to take an interest in this very current phenomenon and show your child that you share his interest. Above all, it is necessary to avoid power struggles.

A video game can be positive if it is perfectly suited to the age of the child or teenager, and the time allotted to it is reasonable. Its practice must not interfere with family life, schooling, sleep time and leisure time. It can also be an activity to share with the family. When the young person plays alone, it is desirable that the space reserved for video games be located in areas of the dwelling reserved for the whole family. In this way, the young person does not find himself isolated in front of his screen and it is easier to limit the time spent on this activity.

Parents in need of their child’s video game addiction can turn to their doctor. The young person can then be taken care of by a psychologist specialized in addictological practices. This is useful if the youngster is a pathological gambler, which fortunately is not very common. Moreover, addictive behavior is much more common in adults than in young people. Be that as it may, when we are dealing with an extreme case, it is better to opt for the referral of the young person to a specialist in the behavioral problem of adolescents and children.

Preventing addiction to video games requires the establishment of real but not drastic rules: there is no question of prohibiting access to video games. Thirty to sixty minutes a day, depending on the age of the child or teenager, is perfectly reasonable and safe play time.