ScienceDaily reported recently that the American Medical Association wants to recognize "video game addiction" as a literal diagnosis. Wikipedia.org defines "video game addiction" as:

Video Game addiction, also called video game overuse, is a proposed form of psychological addiction composed of a compulsive use of computer and video games, most notably massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), and related to the also-debated Internet addiction disorder. Instances have been reported in which users play compulsively, isolating themselves from social contact and focusing almost entirely on in-game achievements rather than life events.

Is your child addicted to video games? If he spends more time during the day in front of a video game than interacting with other children and playing outside, then I would suggest he is addicted. The good news is that you are still the parent, which means you can put appropriate boundaries around his gaming to help minimize the addiction.

I would recommend placing time limits per day for gaming activities. You might want to consider having a different time allotment for during the week (Monday through Friday) and on the weekends or holidays. My sons are allowed to play only 30 minutes during the week and one-hour on weekends or holidays each day. That might feel too much or too little for some of you parents, but you must come up with a system that feels right to you.

Once you've established the rules, then you must establish the consequences. Rules without consequences are useless. This is the part where you must be fair. Don't over punish and don't under punish. Let your child help you establish what the consequences will be, that way he will own them for himself and you don't end up being the punisher.

Remember, real reality is far more exciting than virtual reality. So help your child find the balance. The following are warning signs that might indicate your child is addicted (from "Detox for video game addiction"):

Spending a lot of time gaming doesn't necessarily qualify as an addiction. "Eighty percent of the world can play games safely," Bakker says. "The question is: Can you always control your gaming activity?"

According to the Center for On-Line Addiction, warning signs for video game addiction include:

• Playing for increasing amounts of time

• Thinking about gaming during other activities

• Gaming to escape from real-life problems, anxiety, or depression

• Lying to friends and family to conceal gaming

• Feeling irritable when trying to cut down on gaming

In addition, video game addicts tend to become isolated, dropping out of their social networks and giving up other hobbies. "It's about somebody who has completely withdrawn from other activities," Young says. "One mother called me when her son dropped out of baseball. He used to love baseball, so that's when she knew there was a problem."

To learn more about communication and other helpful skills, please visit my website at www.crashintolove.com.

© Copyright 2007 Smalley Relationship Center

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