Project

I had a phone conversation with my father about video game addiction among teenagers. Many are trapped in it, neglecting relationships, other hobbies, or responsibilities. Grades are slipping, homework goes undone, and they stop attending sports practice regularly—all because playing video games seems more important. As parents who are concerned about their child’s future and want to bring the child back into daily life, it’s difficult to know what steps to take to make this happen. As the mother of a son, I sought help from addiction counseling services. Various people, including the addiction counselors, advised removing video game devices for a while or strictly limiting daily gaming time. However, they don’t explain how parents can implement this with their child when the child, due to their addiction, has little understanding for such restrictions. Instead, they advise on restriction options via parental controls. But children are smart and find ways to bypass parental controls. Parents then have to figure out again how to enforce the restrictions. Addictive video games should generally be restricted to those 18 and older, and video games rated for under-18s should only be permitted if they are not addictive. Compliance with this rule should not, once again, be expected solely from parents.