Nine Signs Your Child Is Addicted to Video Games

If your child enjoys video games, you may have experienced the following: You tell them dinner is ready and they respond “Just five more minutes!”

Of course, they’re still gaming 20 minutes later.

The question is, is this simply a frustrating quirk or do they have a genuine addiction which necessitates intervention?

The following are signs your child is addicted to video games:

1. Preoccupation With Gaming

This is constantly, obsessively thinking about video games even when not playing them.

This involves planning the next gaming session, letting play time dominate daily life and reliving past games. This can signal a serious issue such as a Roblox addiction.

2. Withdrawal Symptoms When Not Gaming

This means having withdrawal symptoms, such as sadness, anxiety or irritability, when gaming is taken away or not possible.

Your child may appear depressed, nervous, distressed, angry or frustrated when unable to play video games.

3. Tolerance to Gaming

This is the need to play longer and longer in order to feel the same level of excitement or satisfaction.

This occurs when your child’s brain adjusts to the dopamine from gaming, leading to normal playtime no longer satisfying the initial urge.

4. Inability to Reduce Playing Time

This is when your child is unable to reduce their playing time.

This involves unsuccessful attempts to stop playing video games.

5. Giving up Other Activities

This is a behavioral shift involving video games replacing essential life domains such as hobbies, personal responsibilities and social interactions.

This involves your child losing interest in activities they used to enjoy because of playing video games.

6. Continuing to Game Despite Problems

This is when your child continues to play video games even while they are fully aware that their gaming is leading to negative life consequences.

These negative life consequences can include negative academic, interpersonal, health and financial consequences.

7. Deceiving Others About Time Spent Gaming

This involves your child deceiving family or others about how much time they spend playing video games.

When children lie about, minimize or hide screen time, it typically indicates their gaming is no longer a harmless hobby and has become a clinical addiction or problematic behavior.

8. Gaming to Relieve Negative Moods

This is when your child plays video games in order to relieve negative moods such as guilt or hopelessness.

Gaming can be a harmless tool for the temporary relief of stress. However, relying on gaming to escape deep psychological distress may signal a behavioral addiction or an unhealthy coping mechanism.

9. Risking Losing a Relationship Due to Gaming

If your child has actively risked losing a friend due to playing video games too much, your child may have a dangerous addiction to video games.

What to Do if Your Child Is Addicted to Gaming

If your child is addicted to gaming, you should:

• Remove screens from bedrooms
• Establish clear time limits for gaming
• Require chores and homework to be finished before gaming
• Set device controls or routers to turn off the internet at a designated night hour
• Talk calmly with your child instead of immediately blaming them
• Give your child buffer times between turning off games and starting dinner or homework so their brain can decompress
• Seek professional help from a pediatrician, counselor or specialized program if your child’s behavior involves intense anger or withdrawal