Video games have become the favorite pastime of teenagers and young adults, but toddlers are getting into it too. And by dint of indulging in this activity, children can encounter health and behavior problems. The tendency to addiction cannot be ruled out either.
Faced with this sometimes pleasant and sometimes dangerous leisure, parents are necessarily worried about how to manage their toddlers. Especially since the World Health Organization would have recognized video games as a disease. So how do you deal with a child addicted to video games? We will study the different answers together in this article.
Define Time Spent in Front of Screens
Being addicted to video games involves knowing how much time a child spends in front of screens.
Some children can spend an hour in front of their console and experience sleep disturbances while waiting for the next game. Others start playing for several hours straight without stopping but know how to organize their daily lives by finishing their homework and chores before playing.
Ultimately, the time spent in front of the screens is not a decisive criterion in the management of a child’s behavior in the face of video game addiction. It is better than to turn to the impact of this or that game on his behavior!
Find Out if Some Games are More Addictive than Others
In this context, parents must then communicate with their children/teenagers to deepen the source of the addiction. Some specialists reveal that multiplayer online games are the most addictive.
In this case, the game continues even if a participant leaves. And by losing points at each level, the teenager then feels obliged to stay connected. Especially since giving up the game will obsess him at times.
The psychologist specializing in behavioral addiction then considers these games as potentially dangerous for the teenager, because they can influence his behavior and completely isolate him from the real world.
And given their impact on the mind, taking out a teenager addicted to video games is a real obstacle course for parents. So how do manage this dependence which weighs more and more on the parents?
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Addicted to Video Games: Finding Other Sources of Distraction Suitable for Young People
Given the problems ( back pain, eyestrain, etc.) that addiction to video games can cause, finding an adequate solution is not easy.
The main thing would be to bring together all the strings to his bow to rid his child of this addiction. To do this, it is essential to find him a fun activity likely to please him and distract him. Sports turn out to be an excellent alternative.
Especially since this kind of activity develops his team spirit and his mind.
Children, whatever their age, also need to establish a social relationship with the outside world. Communicating with others would then allow them to flourish socially without depriving themselves of their favorite activity, which is video games.
If the parents were indeed to remove their access to video games, their frustration would then be increased and would move them towards another addiction. A platform like Aark Learnings offers online programs for kids which would help to grow their skills.
Knowing How to Impose Limits on Children
When we are a parent, it is up to us to impose our authority on our children. Imposing, however, does not mean forcing young video game addicts to follow any of our directives, but finding common ground with every disagreement.
For example, you can impose reasonable limits on the time spent in front of screens, without depriving your children of their source of distraction. Everything is reasonable. No need to yell at them to let them know what you think of this or that game!
Communication also plays a vital role in the management of video game addiction. For each rule that you establish concerning the practice of video games, you will have to use the timer, for example, to manage the time spent in front of the screens.
A rather effective solution for those who have already tried it! In addition, you can also entrust the youngest to their elders, making the latter look like a real role models for the little ones. This is a strategy that works especially if your eldest is a teenager. It’s a way to empower him while pushing him to minimize his consumption of video games.
Avoid Placing Screens in Certain Places
This solution may seem a little silly, but the location of the screens can establish a habit in some children. Finding a tablet or console on the bedside table in the bedroom would make it easier to access the screen. Playing video games would then become a routine that could lead to addiction.
Screens must also be prohibited at the table. Having a family meal is a privileged moment that promotes communication between members. And playing at the table would hinder this cohesion.
Parents should have no trouble enforcing this rule on a daily basis, as long as they are present. Otherwise, they can delegate this task to the person responsible for looking after the children.
Conclusion
Ultimately, managing a child or teenager addicted to video games is not easy. Not all parents necessarily have the time to check their children’s behavior with regard to video games. And teenagers are sometimes more difficult to manage because of the upheavals that occur in their lives. As a result, they tend to take refuge in video games, until they become completely addicted to them.
To avoid this dependence, it is first necessary to analyze their behavior: if they manage to have relations with the outside world, if they finish their homework on time or if, on the contrary, they remain constantly locked in their room to play.
After this analysis, communication must pass between parents and children. It is thanks to this alternative that parents can impose their rules without rushing their toddlers. This solution also brings them together and establishes a relationship of trust. All in all, communication is the key to better managing kids addicted to screens and video games.
