Understanding Video Game Addiction

It’s a common scene in many households: your child retreats to the basement or their bedroom as soon as they get home from school, and they start gaming for hours. Though frequent gaming is common for many children, teens, and even adults, it can be difficult to determine when a hobby becomes an addiction. 

You might consider your child’s video game habit an addiction if they continually want to play video games more and more and/or if their gaming leads to negative consequences in their life, such as doing poorly in school or withdrawing from friends or family. 

11 signs of video game addiction 

1. They have a preoccupation with gaming

Your child might not be able to stop thinking about gaming, and this might interfere with other activities like school or sports. They might also check their games, gaming news, or gaming forums to an amount that seems excessive. 

2. They lie about or hide their gaming use

Kids who lie about or hide their gaming use might sneak onto games late at night, pretend they’re doing homework when they’re actually gaming, or lie about what they’re doing when they go to a friend’s house. They might also lie about how much they play video games when questioned about their gaming habits. 

3. They have a loss of interest in other activities

It’s common for interests and favored activities to change, but this might seem sudden or excessive in kids who are addicted to video games. They might stop hanging out with friends, quit sports teams, or completely stop other hobbies. 

4. They experience social withdrawal

Your child might stop hanging out with friends, and they might even start to struggle in social situations. They might make all conversations about gaming, or their social circle might start to only consist of friends they meet online via gaming. 

5. They experience psychological withdrawal

You might notice changes in your child’s mood, especially during times when they aren’t able to play their video games. They might become restless, moody, sullen, or irritable. Taking breaks from gaming might even cause anxiety. 

6. They display defensiveness and anger

When asked to cut back on their gaming or even questioned about their gaming habits, kids who are addicted to video games might get defensive and angry. They might try to justify their gaming habit, or they might lash out. 

7. They use gaming as a psychological escape

Many people use hobbies such as video games as a means of escape or to cope with life, but kids who are addicted to video games can take this to the next level. They might use their games to completely avoid the stresses and demands of their life. 

8. They continue to game despite negative consequences

Excessive gaming can lead to problems in relationships, bad grades at school, and poor performance at work or in extracurricular activities. Despite these consequences, kids who have an addiction will continue to game. They might also develop negative physical consequences such as eye strain or sleep deprivation. 

9. They have poor performance at school or work as a result of gaming

You might notice that your child’s grades begin to fall; their attendance at school, work, or activities slips; or their performance at work declines. 

10. They display withdrawal symptoms when they’re not able to game 

If your child is not able to game, they might experience withdrawal symptoms, which can include restlessness, irritability, anxiety, sadness, and trouble focusing on other tasks. 

11. They need to spend more and more time gaming to reach the same level of enjoyment 

Kids who are addicted to video games might find themselves needing to game more and more to feel satisfied. They might slowly increase the amount of time they spend playing or the number of gaming sessions they engage in. 

What to do if your child is addicted to video games 

If you believe that your child is addicted to video games, it’s important to seek help. A therapist or mental health professional can help your child via cognitive behavioral therapy. Other types of therapies that can help include group therapy, which may help your child find support from others who are addicted to gaming. Family counseling can be a great resource as well. 

In addition to finding help for your child, you may want to seek justice for your child’s addiction. Recently, people have alleged that many intentionally addictive elements have been added to video games. Though lawsuits are currently in their early stages, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit or join one of the growing lawsuits against video game manufacturers. We can help connect you with a video game addiction lawyer who can evaluate your case and help determine if you may be eligible to file a lawsuit.