Addiction can be a frightening word for a parent of any teen boy. As a parent, you may be asking “What did I do? How can I help it?” or you may be playing down your son’s addiction because “It could be worse.” Video game addiction is a very real and very detrimental problem for a large number of teenagers in the United States and identifying that addiction is difficult. According to an article on psychguides.com, there are two different types of gaming addiction: The addiction to standard single player games that have a clear goal or mission and the addiction to online multiplayer games that involve creating an alternate reality that has no end. With these two types of gaming addictions in mind, we have found that there are five major signs that can aid in identifying a video game addiction in your troubled teen more easily.
Downplay of computer or game use. Denial is a large part of any addiction and if your teen is downplaying the amount of time they spent gaming per day, they might have a problem. Monitor your teen’s video gaming and keep them limited to a specified amount of time per day to help prevent an addiction from occurring.
Defensive Outbursts. It may be time to seek help if your teen has defensive outbursts when you, as a parent, attempt to address a video gaming addiction with your son. Another sign that needs to be addressed is playing out scenes from the video games in real life. Ozarks Teen Challenge can help your son learn to defeat his addiction and aggressive behaviors with our 5 phase system.
Loss of Time. Loss of time is a beginning phase of a video game addiction. This is usually realized after your teenager intended on only playing for a limited time and ended up playing for hours. Excuses to watch out for might be “It only felt like an hour” or “I just lost track of time, it’s no big deal.”
Misuse of Money. The misuse of monetary funds may only be a few dollars here and there at first. This type of misuse is called a microtransaction. Video game companies make millions of dollars each on these microtransactions. When the addiction starts to grow, your son may be led to stealing or allocating all of his own funds to these microtransactions.
Negative Impact on Other Areas of Life. An addiction to video gaming can lead to large negative impacts on your son’s physical, social, and emotional areas of life. It may be time to find a solution if your teen’s grades start to slip; if they withdraw from normal activities they used to enjoy, or if they become volatile when video gaming is taken away.
Don’t wait to take action if you see your son sliding down the slippery slope of video game addiction. There is a way to help your son defeat his addiction and become the young adult you know he is capable of being. At Ozarks Teen Challenge, our staff is trained to guide your son down a more productive and Christ-centered path. Come visit with us or contact us today.
