Nowadays, video games are a very common form of entertainment in our society and, therefore, harmful excessive use of video games is increasing. It is important to recognize the signs of addiction, since if it is not treated, the negative effects are increased. Some children or adolescents with difficulties relating to others play video games to not feel alone and break the monotony, while some do it only from time to time, others become obsessed with video games and begin to feel more comfortable in the environment. world of video games than in the real world. In the latter case, we would be talking about a video game addiction. In this Psychology-Online article, we show you the Symptoms, consequences and treatment of video game addiction.
Some of the symptoms of video game addiction are:
- Significant negative impact on work, academic and/or interpersonal performance.
- Spend most of your free time playing video games.
- Play video games for between 6 and 8 hours straight.
- Loss of interest in social activities.
- Avoiding responsibilities or commitments to continue playing, for example, staying up late playing, not being able to get up early the next day and, therefore, not fulfilling that day’s commitments.
- The person is only happy when he plays.
- The person is distracted by video games: they have difficulty concentrating on other things because they are thinking about when they can play again.
- Aggression, irritation…, when he can’t play.
- Lies about the time spent playing video games.
- Play video games to escape from problems, anxiety or depression.
Video game addiction does not have the same impact on everyone who experiences it. Some of the negative consequences of video game addiction can be:
Emotional problems
People with video game addiction may be at greater risk of loneliness, anger, and feelings of shame for spending so much time playing. It must be taken into account that these problems can be consequences of addiction, but they can also play a role in the development of pathological gambling.
Financial problems
In the case of children this is not usually a problem, but it is for adults and teenagers who can spend large amounts of money on computers, consoles, subscriptions, etc. Furthermore, in extreme cases, financial problems can occur when the person loses motivation to work, and may be fired or not work full time.
Health problems
Video game addiction is usually related to poor sleeping habits, poor personal hygiene, little physical activity and inadequate diet. In children, some studies have shown its association with childhood obesity.
Social problems
As the addiction worsens, video game addicts tend to spend more time gaming and less quality time with friends, family, or other important people in their life. The addicted person may say they have many “online friends” and experience depression and social isolation due to lack of personal contact with others.
Family problems
These types of problems may be the most common difficulty in people with video game addiction. Family problems are usually a consequence of addiction, but it must be taken into account that in some cases poor family relationships can increase the likelihood of developing addiction. A person with addiction may feel that family members are trying to interfere with their life when they show concern about gambling and become aggressive, either verbally or physically.
There are several treatment options to help people addicted to video games stop gaming and begin social and emotional recovery. In many cases, video game addiction is an attempt to mask certain emotions or the result of poor or inadequate social skills. That’s why most treatments revolve around helping the person be more social, overcome negative emotions, and find more productive things to do.
Some of the methods more employees to treat video game addiction are:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most recommended therapy for gambling, but there are other types of therapies that can work as well.
- Family therapy: Sometimes video game addiction is the result of family problems or poor family interaction. Family problems can encourage excessive use of video games. For these cases, family therapy is aimed at improving family relationships, indirectly treating gambling behavior.
In addition to psychological intervention, there are studies that show the good results of a medication (bupropion) to treat video game addiction.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.