Teen Gaming Addictions on the Rise in the U.S.

TEEN GAMING ADDICTIONS ON THE RISE IN U.S.
Study Finds 10 Percent of Children Addicted to Online and Video Games

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.- Parents often joke that their children and teens “Just can’t tear themselves away from their video games.” Studies show parents it’s not a joking matter.

About one in 10 children are addicted to video and/or online games, a study from the National Institute on Media and Family found.

“Video/online games stimulate the brain’s “reward centers” which gives the same high drug addicts feel,” said Dr. Charles Lee, physician for The Pinnacle Schools. “Children and teens are becoming addicted to video/online games the way people are addicted to drugs, alcohol and gambling.”

The recent study measured youth gaming habits to the symptoms of gambling addiction established in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The study, Pathological Video Game Use Among Youth Ages 8 to 18: A National Study, was published in the May edition of Psychological Science. It was written by Douglas Gentile, assistant professor of psychology at Iowa State University.

With gaming addictions quickly on the rise some researchers and clinical professionals believe the U.S. is lagging behind tech-savvy countries. South Korea and other countries have opened hundreds of clinics to treat gaming and internet addiction. The first U.S. internet addiction center opened this summer and is located outside Seattle, Washington.

“Excessive gaming can become so compelling, one cannot just quit. The freedom to choose to play or not to play is gone” said Liz Woolley, Founder of Online Gamers Anonymous.

Children and teens are becoming addicted to games where they assume a persona and take a new identity. They feel they are earning respect from their gaming peers, and their self-esteem is improved. Often, the addiction is an indication that something is happening at home or school.
The warning signs for gaming addictions are the same as those for alcohol and drug addictions. Signs include:
• Lying
• Restless and irritable when doing other activities
• Eating meals at the computer while gaming
• Inability to keep track of time spent gaming
• Increasingly defensive about game playing habits
• Poor school performance
• Skipping class
• Loss of appetite/ skipping meals
• Defiant
• Isolate themselves from family and friends
• Playing games instead of doing homework

According to the NIMF study, children show as many as six of the warning signs.
“Addictions are often triggered by a traumatic event in the teen’s life such as divorce, adoption or a death” said Martez Rogers, Master Level Addiction Practitioner (MLAP). “Genetic components such as a parent with alcohol addictions can reveal addiction tendencies in their children.”
Organizations such as Online Gaming Addiction Anonymous (OLGANON) and Mothers Against Videogame Addiction & Violence (MAVAV), both founded in 2002, raise awareness of gaming addictions as well as provide recovery assistance and education for addicts, family members and friends.

About The Pinnacle Schools
The Mission of The Pinnacle Schools, Inc. is to develop adolescents who are self-directed, educated and contributing members of society. To support this mission, we resolve to provide an environment of respect, acceptance, skill development and challenge which fosters the personal development and emotional growth of our students. We are one component of a continuum of growth for struggling teens and their families.