He is on computer online game all day...

Parents Support One Another @ MyOutOfControlTeen.com/support = I need help with the following issue:

My son is 15 in 10th grade. He is on computer online game all day whenever he is home. If I try to take the computer/modem etc away from him, he would take my laptop and wallet and purse away. I need the laptop for my work. I need the wallet since my drive license is in it. If I cancel the internet service, he then refuses to turn in home work and school project. Anyway, with internet, he is still not turning home work so much. His grad is very low. It is getting worse and worse. Now he start playing over night and no able to go to school in the morning. Please help!

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COMMENT:

Video game addiction is often referred to as video game overuse, a compulsive or excessive use of computer games and/or video games. Video game addicts are believed to exhibit the same psychological addictive behaviors as gambling addiction, often described as an impulse control disorder.

The 2007 study by the American Medical Association reviewing video game addiction concluded that “more research and studies are needed to provide conclusive evidence that video game addiction is a disorder.” Increased pressure is being placed upon the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to include “Internet/video game addiction” in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the standard diagnostic text used by psychiatrists worldwide.

Research by Stanford University School of Medicine in 2008 shows video games do have addictive characteristics, and a Harris Interactive Poll released in April 2007 showed that 8.5% of youth gamers in the United States could be “classified as pathologically or clinically addicted to playing video games.”

Research into computer game addiction or video game addiction statistics shows that men and boys are more likely to become addicted to video games (if they aren’t already), versus the percentage of girls and women becoming addicted to video games, but the numbers of female video game addicts are rising. If you don’t know or don’t understand video game ratings, how games are rated and the effect the ratings should have on your video game playing habits or purchases, it’s time to become fully aware.

Here are some symptoms or signs of video game addiction as well as computer game addiction to help determine if your children are addicted to video games:

For Children:

1. Most of their “free time”, non-school hours are spent on the computer or playing video games.
2. Fatigue; tendency to fall asleep in school.
3. Not keeping up with homework assignments/not turning in homework on time.
4. Worsening grades.
5. Lying about computer or video game use so computer or video game privileges aren’t taken away.
6. Choosing the computer or playing video games rather than spending time with friends or family.
7. Dropping out of activities such as social groups, clubs or sports.
8. Irritable, cranky or agitated (withdrawal symptoms) when not playing a video game or on the computer.

If you are truly convinced that your teenagers or young children are addicted to video games or computer games, it’s your job as the parent to get your kids off the computer and off the video game console, providing them ample opportunity for active play and natural exercise in and outside of the home.

Make no mistake, video game addiction is a real addiction and if you are a parent that is concerned about your home-grown video game addict, it’s up to you to parent your children and closely monitor and limit their gaming activities. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG’s) are designed to be addictive.

Video game makers and marketers are counting on people to become addicted to the games! Cha-Ching! It’s a lot of money in their pockets, and a lot of money out of your pockets. Let your children whine, cry and complain all they want about placing restrictions and limits on their game use, but be the parent.

One of the effects of children addicted to video games is the increase in childhood obesity amongst young children and teens due to excessive amounts of time spent leading a more sedentary lifestyle (and poor eating habits), amongst other physical, emotional and mental problems associated with too much time being spent playing video games.

Be the parent of your children, not their friend. If the video game problem in your home is so bad that you feel your child is a “video game addict”, or if your children spend too much time watching television, shut it down and get your children involved in other activities that encourage and promote active play and that provides more than finger and thumb exercises from video game controls.