Online Games: Play or Addiction?

A personal connection to the problem
All these questions became real to me recently when we thought our 11 year old son was having vision problems. We took him to see the pediatrician when he began blinking frequently for no apparent reason. Turns out he was having dry eyes from playing too much GameCube and Game Boy®, as well as normal computer time. After two weeks quitting gaming cold turkey, his vision and eyes were fine again. We then limited his daily gaming time to prevent this from happening again.

After doing a lot of reading on the subject, I don't believe our son really had an addiction to gaming, but if his gaming had gone unchecked it might have become a true addiction.

Games replace real life
Here's a bit of what I learned. First, addiction to online games is a real problem among both kids and adults. According to research reported by Harris Interactive "8.5 percent of youth gamers (ages 8 to 18) can be classified as pathological or clinically 'addicted' to playing video games."† Perhaps the most addictive games are the online multi-player games that include both game play and an IM or chat function. Groups of players play and chat at the same time, forming kind of a gaming fantasy community that, among the addicted, can become more important than real life. Among the most popular of these games are World of Warcraft, EverQuest, and Ultima Online.

How bad can it get?
It can get very bad. Let's put it this way, the game EverQuest is often referred to as "EverCrack," a reference to the highly addictive narcotic. What begins as an innocent hobby can become a pathological behavioral problem very quickly. Here's an example. A high school junior, an "A" student, started playing online games over 30 hours a week. Dreams of going to a prestigious university faded as the teen's grades dropped to "barely passing." Six years later, the student is in junior college, recognizes the addiction, wants to stop, but can't. Another indication of the scope of the problem is the fact that the government of China now requires online multi-player game companies to restrict kids 18 and under to three hours of play per day. Personally, I think even three hours is too much, especially for younger children.

Uncovering addiction
Are your kids addicted to gaming? Here are a few of the most common warning signs. Addicted kids lose interest in their school, turn their backs on their friends, and talk incessantly about the games they are playing. Also many online games require players to buy the game and pay monthly fees to continue playing. You'll see these charges on your or your child's credit card.

Preventing or solving addiction
Preventing addiction to online games is a matter of you being aware of your kids' online activities. Educate yourself and your kids about the dangers of excessive gaming. Don't let the computer screen become your babysitter. Talk to your kids about their online activities. If your kids spend a lot of time on the computer, their grades suffer, or their friends stop calling, ask why and address it immediately. If you think your child may be addicted, consider asking for professional psychological help. You may not be able to solve the problem on your own.

Games, not addiction
Game playing is natural for kids. It is one of the ways they compete and learn. They're learning. They're having fun. It's a healthy part of their life, but it's not their whole life. When the game playing starts growing in time and importance, it's time for you to act. Let's make sure that when our kids play games, they're just playing games.

Let me know what you think.
I would like to hear from you. If you have views or suggestions that you would like to share, please send me an email at Ask-Caroline@norton.com. To learn more, please see the Online Games: Game vs. Addiction article on the Family Resource Article Library.

Thank you!

† Harris Interactive, "Video Game Addiction: Is It Real" April 2007