Preventing video game addiction in kids and teens

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Preventing video game addiction in kids and teens

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Some of the signs of video game addiction or internet addiction are withdrawal. At a young age or even at an advanced age as teenagers, they can become obsessed with what is going on in front of them on the screen. They drown out everything else that is around them. They might become hyper focused to the point that nothing else matters. The other thing is that nothing else interests them, sot he video game itself or the internet is so compelling and so interesting, it's such a high pleasure center for them in their brain; they just become distracted to everything else that is going on around them. Finally, really there is another one as part of that hyper focus, they become disinterested in other things around them. Who wants to do their chores or homework as opposed to a video game? That's a progressive trait. The prevalence of this is -- Generally, there are studies out there that show a range among of the kids that are out there, 6 to 12 percent of kids become addicted to video games. We can't confuse a high interest and addiction. There is a difference in that. It's a progressive thing that starts early and gets worse as the addiction develops.

View Rick Meeves, PhD, LMFT 's video on Preventing video game addiction in kids and teens...

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Rick Meeves, PhD, LMFT

Clinical Director of CRC

Dr. Rick Meeves has spent the last 16 years working with adolescents and their families. He currently serves as the Director of Adolescent Clinical Services for CRC Health Group, the nation’s largest provider of addiction treatment and related behavioral health services.  Rick has helped families deal with the rapidly expanding access to video and electronic media. As a practitioner he has seen teens lock themselves in their rooms, playing video games for days on end. He has also seen teens who became addicted to online gambling. Rick has seen parents who have accepted this behavior as some acceptable alternative to staying out all night or using drugs or alcohol. He has helped families re-establish healthy patterns and use of electronic gaming and has established healthy patterns with his own boys.

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Transcription: 
Some of the signs of video game addiction or internet addiction are withdrawal. At a young age or even at an advanced age as teenagers, they can become obsessed with what is going on in front of them on the screen. They drown out everything else that is around them. They might become hyper focused to the point that nothing else matters. The other thing is that nothing else interests them, sot he video game itself or the internet is so compelling and so interesting, it's such a high pleasure center for them in their brain; they just become distracted to everything else that is going on around them. Finally, really there is another one as part of that hyper focus, they become disinterested in other things around them. Who wants to do their chores or homework as opposed to a video game? That's a progressive trait. The prevalence of this is -- Generally, there are studies out there that show a range among of the kids that are out there, 6 to 12 percent of kids become addicted to video games. We can't confuse a high interest and addiction. There is a difference in that. It's a progressive thing that starts early and gets worse as the addiction develops.