Regardless of whether your child has a video game addiction or an internet gaming disorder, a teen who abuses the use of video games often needs help to stop. Once you see the signs and understand the dangers of electronic addiction, you can contact Venture Academy. We offer safe treatment options for excessive video game use in teens to help get your child’s life back on track to a successful future.
Signs of Video Game Addiction
The signs of addiction to video games are similar to those of substance abuse. Some kids will be able to hide their extreme use better than others. Many of the signs are consistent. Isolation from family and friends in real life is common. They may no longer participate in activities they once enjoyed. Video game abusers often become irritable and irrational when you restrict games. They will spend more time with online contacts rather than real-world friends. Teens often alienate their real-life friends altogether. Their grades in school begin to drop. They may also be disrespectful towards you when you disconnect their games. Your teen may then attempt to bargain with you in order to regain access to the games, only to break the agreed-upon guidelines. They may also lose sleep and stop acceptable hygiene practices.
Gaming extremism can disrupt the lives of everyone in the family unit. They might obsess over video games and act as though they cannot function without any sort of device in their hands. And they will likely lie and do anything to be able to play more. In some instances, they may steal credit cards to make in-app or in-game purchases. As a parent, you may want to discount these signs as those of a teenager just being a teenager. However, if your child has any of these signs, it can be a sign of bigger problems. Such problems could be quite serious, including the abuse of video games, drugs, alcohol or prescription medication. It is important to talk to professionals and have us assess your teen in a safe environment.
Video Game Addiction and the Dangers of Electronic Addiction
The known long-term dangers of electronic addiction are growing as experts conduct more research. Social isolation is dangerous in many ways, including young people becoming more susceptible to online predators and extremist views on any number of subjects. The excessive use of video games can also hinder proper brain development in young people. These brain developments are crucial to your child becoming a well-rounded and fully functioning adult. The escapism of video games prevents young people from learning healthy ways to address conflict, feelings, and problems. Many teens who abuse video games will often continue to develop issues with real life in a highly problematic manner. Gaming abusers also stop making an effort at school. This can have devastating consequences for their future in the long-term. And the behaviour of teens who use video games in excess often unravels into outbursts, violence, and a general lack of coping skills.
Treatment Options for Video Game Addiction
When kids start to exhibit an addiction to video games, they severely limit their career options and their ability to establish relationships in real life. Video game addiction treatment helps young people to overcome their dependency on video games with great success. These programs are specifically for teens and the issues that surround them. Some of the services we offer for video game addiction treatment include:
You do not have to address your child’s video game addiction alone. The Venture Academy specializes in custom treatments for these issues and concerns. When you are ready, give us a call at 866.762.2211. We have two locations: Red Deer, Alberta and Barrie, Ontario. We can do this together.