Kids like video games and its fun to be safe without having to burn energies of any kind. Parents should ask whether their children are enjoying normal and healthy development or are really struggling with their children’s video game addiction.
It is necessary to know that between 3 and 10% of the players to video games become addicted to them. While playing it seems that nothing happens, but the reality is that addiction to video games can be a problem. If you are not sure that your child just likes to play or is an addict, then do not miss the following symptoms to know if they have a video game addiction.
Symptoms that betray your children are addicted to video games
1. Unusual behavior
An addicted to video games are often very concerned about behaving appropriately to win the prize of playing video games. If he does not get it, he can have a very disruptive behavior. Even when playing video games you may seem indifferent, distracted and irritable.
2. Isolation of family and friends
A video game addict is able to spend the hours of a weekend in front of the screen … even subtract hours of sleep or even forget that you have to eat. The social interaction shines by its absence and has such isolated behavior that it draws attention and of course worries.
3. Lack of control
If your child is not able to control the amount of time spent playing video games or controlling their emotional state when it is time to turn it off, since they have had enough. You can also lose emotional control when you are given rules regarding the use of video games.
4. Impulsive habits
Your child may need to play immediately and if they have saved money they can spend a lot of money or ask to buy video games, accessories to play or anything else that has to do with video games. He does not care what money he spends he just wants to get more and more.
5. Lose time
A video game addict will lose track of time altogether. He is able to sit down to play for only 15 minutes but then get up from the seat 8 hours later and he does not even notice the time that has passed, or if he has noticed that he doesn’t care because he prioritizes playing before anything else.
6. He seems to live in an imaginary world
It seems that the person addicted to video games like to escape to the realms of fantasy. Players who spend a lot of time playing might have a problem dealing with reality. In many cases, video games are a way of escaping from what is happening around them or not accepting reality.
7. Negative effects on other areas of their life
Other areas of the child’s life may be adversely affected. Children who are addicted to video games can grow distant from friends and family, may not want to do homework or study to spend more time with video games, can affect their health by the sedentary life, etc.
8. Concealment of negative or uncomfortable feelings
There are boys and girls who use video games to self-medicate emotionally. Children can play a game to avoid difficult situations, not to face their real feelings or not face realities that make them feel bad and uncomfortable.
9. Shows a defensive attitude and denial of the obvious
When these children face the attitude of another person trying to make them see their addiction, they may feel confrontational and they will become defensive denying the obvious. If they flatly deny it and even get aggressive, it is a clear warning sign that something is wrong.
10. Money is not well managed
Video game addicts are able to spend a lot of money on new games, devices and accessories that they think they cannot do without it. If he is a child without money, he will ask his parents to buy it by getting very irritable if he does not get it or if they refuse to buy it.