boy gaming, gaming addiction

Whose fault is it if a child becomes addicted to online games? Is it the parents or is it the gaming industry? I think it has to be one or both – it cannot be the child’s fault that they want to (and can) be online gaming lot of the time. Online games suck the children in to have fun so they spend money on their game. But surely it is down to the parents to regulate how long children go online for?

When Online Gaming Becomes A Problem

When I hear a child moan to me that they want their parents to stop nagging them, more than likely it is related to gaming or screen time. Their parents are asking them to finish off their game and they don’t want to, so mum or dad start to nag. Their parents say their child isn’t listening, but actually they are. Gaming can be such an addictive thing and it can be difficult for the child to stop. They don’t want to stop because they are in the middle of a game that they are so desperate to win – and they are playing with their friends. I overheard a woman in the gym yesterday saying it was having a huge impact of her family life. They were always late to meet friends, they were always waiting for their son to finish his game and he was grumpy when not playing. It should not be this way.

Treating Online Gaming Addiction

It is no surprise to me to find that the NHS are going to help those addicted to gaming as it has become a big problem. Read Children Addicted to Computer Games will get Free NHS Treatment. Should we be doing this? Surely with controls in place and parents monitoring what games and how long our children are playing for this should not be a problem. It only becomes a  problem when we have lost control and we allow our children to access gaming  all the time – when we are around, not around and with friends.

Children need to know what moderation means and the impact of ‘too much’ Lets teach our children and show them that limits are good and protect them from excessive gaming so that we don’t have to access this NHS service.