5 Reasons Your Child Won't Quit Online Gaming
Effective strategies for helping them achieve balance.
Posted May 9, 2021 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch
“Help,” Patrick’s father implored. “I think he’s addicted.” His father, and I, watched as my client stared intently at his phone while playing Roblox (a popular online videogame).
“How are you?” I attempted to momentarily disrupt his trance-like state. “Good,” he retorted in an annoyed and monosyllabic manner.
This was going to be a long session.
Over the course of my career as a psychotherapist, I have worked with multiple young people who have a preoccupation with video games. There has been an ongoing debate as to whether excessive gaming can be considered a mental health disorder (Bean, Nielsen, Van Rooij, & Ferguson, 2017). There is no definitive answer yet as to whether it is an illness or a symptom of an underlying condition (i.e., anxiety , depression , etc.).
Parents often ask me what is so appealing about these games and how they can prophylactically respond. In my journey to understand this phenomenon, I consulted the experts—my clients—as well as the research. Further, I decided to go “undercover” as an online gamer for approximately three months to gain more insight.
My game of choice was Roblox, as it came up consistently in sessions. However, what I learned appears to be applicable to other online games as well:
Despite the benefits gained from gaming, there is still a concern about overutilization. In full disclosure, after months of playing, I began noticing problems in myself. For instance, I started delaying my morning routines “just” to get a little more play in. No big deal, right? I work extensively and deserve to reward myself — and on and on the justification went.
One study of over 1,300 middle school children found that media and video games were associated with an increase in attention issues (Swing, Gentile, Anderson & Walsh, 2010). As indicated by my brief opening vignette, attentional issues can be problematic for children as it prevents them from concentrating on pertinent tasks. Further, Peracchia and Curcio (2018) assert that extensive video game playing can cause impairments in sleep quality.
Here are some ideas on how to approach this issue with your children:
In addition to the above, the American Academy of Pediatrics has a list of recommendations that are useful as a proactive way of combating unhealthy usage.
I have reluctantly decided to give up my online gaming identity, although I think it offered me a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the worldview of some of our children. What strategies do you use to help your children combat excessive gaming?
Bean, A. M., Nielsen, R. K., Van Rooij, A. J., & Ferguson, C. J. (2017). Video game addiction: The push to pathologize video games. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice , 48(5), 378.
Griffiths, M. D., & Nuyens, F. (2017). An overview of structural characteristics in problematic video game playing. Current Addiction Reports , 4(3), 272-283.
Peracchia, S., & Curcio, G. (2018). Exposure to video games: effects on sleep and on post-sleep cognitive abilities. A systematic review of experimental evidences. Sleep Science , 11(4), 302.
Redshaw, S. (2007). Cleaning Your Glasses’: A Prerequisite for ‘Catching Your Child Being Good. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy , 28(1), 28-34.
Swing, E. L., Gentile, D. A., Anderson, C. A., & Walsh, D. A. (2010). Television and video game exposure and the development of attention problems. Pediatrics , 126(2), 214-221.
Teng, C. I. (2017). Impact of avatar identification on online gamer loyalty: Perspectives of social identity and social capital theories. International Journal of Information Management , 37(6), 601-610.
Wang, B., Taylor, L., & Sun, Q. (2018). Families that play together stay together: Investigating family bonding through video games. New Media & Society , 20(11), 4074-4094.
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Steve Alexander, Jr., M.A., Ed.M. , is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New York who has worked in multiple outpatient clinics, psychiatric settings, and is currently in private practice.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.