Many parents may have questioned why a child obsessed with games, computers or tablet device. A child psychiatry at Phayathai 2 hospital has explained that this behavior can start when children have an opportunity to know and experience the games whether from a phone or a computer.
How do you know? If the children are addicted to online games
Parents can observe the signs when they spend overtime on games without knowing and being unable to control themselves. Trying to pursue more gaming. When parents tell them to stop, then start to express their moody feeling, sometimes aggression. Accordingly, it can cause emotional problems including relationships with people around. Or even a delayed development in your children.
What are causes?
– A child, children who have a high risk of developing to addiction, such as children with ADHD having less patience and lack of self-control. However, in children with emotional problems such as depression, stress may use the games to relieve stress. And in children with low self-esteem or lack of social skills including learning concentration may use games as a way of increasing their abilities and prides that help friends and society accept what they do.
– Family , it is important raising up the kid with a lack of discipline and indulgence can cause them a lack of self- control over the game. Many researchers have found that family relationship is one of the key factors which affects the children. Some families have no time or using over aggressive behavior to them. There are no fun activities within the family, accordingly, makes children lonely and bored. Then they need to find other activities to do for making themselves happy… and that is playing games. In some families using games to keep their children calm. And if a relationship between parents and children is poor then often find that children do not obey to any rule especially when asking them to stop playing games.
– The environment, this makes it easier for children to access the games, such as the fact that parents bring out equipment which causes children to access the game. Or in society, a group of friends who have talked about games at schools, including a resident locates near a game shop. Accordingly, that make it easier for kids to get addicted. In addition, a current game maker nowadays attracts kids with a strategy which keeps them on the screen for a longer time.
– Biological factors many studies have found that children with addiction caused by the brain are stimulated similarly to drug addiction.
The effects of the game.
Children who spend their time playing games regularly until they have health problems as back pain or headaches, and forget about their basic needs of the body like eating or sleeping including ignoring their classes, being an introvert. The children may express emotions and behaviors inappropriately to their parents when they are not allowed to play games, being aggressive, or depressed.
Parent is a key
With parental love, may provide an excessive indulgence without a discipline and guess this habit will be changed when they are older. Sometimes the parents may start to judge on the behavior strictly but, that does not count as a discipline raising due to it is not a regular warning from the parents themselves. And another cause is the neglect as there is no time for the children or some parents may have an emotional fighting and curse in front of them and the child can be stress, accordingly, he or she decides to replace the games for relaxation including avoid seeing the fight.
Parents help
Parents can solve the problem which the first thing is parents need to discover what causes them to get involved in the game by observing a change and try to interpret what happens to them. Moreover, parents should look back to a major key following these 3 main factors …
Self-esteem, parents need to know that they have enough time for the child or not, how disciplined you both are. Including observation where your child has been involved. Accordingly, that is one of triggers for playing games. If parents notice and correct the causes that help keeping the children away from the addiction.
Involvement is when the parents join them by asking what games they are into to be a part of their activity. Due to every game is useful to promote an ability and development. Therefore, getting to know the game and finding more opportunities to talk with the children, may tighten the relationship by knowing what they like to be involved in other activities as a way the child loves to share.
An agreement, allow or set new gaming rules for them. The purpose is letting children play the game properly which is not forbidden to play. Parents may make a rule by a time limit. Your child can participate in setting the rules as well. Then after a mission is done compliment and give them a reward. However, a device provided by parents for example computer, accordingly, it should be located in public areas of a house to prevent a chance of being addictive includes for a benefit of the observation. Such as living room or movie room etc.
Treatment
Parents should look for good things in the children as a way to bring them back to a family.When the relationship improves, then the child will become more considerate and obedient to the parent. And from experience of behavioral counseling from doctors often find that kids do not know what to do as a reason why they are easily addicted to the games.
Parents can look for talents in children in order to select activities, such as music, art, and sports for them to participate. Besides keeping them away from the addiction, also creating a self-esteem in them. If an activity is a family event, that is time when children can access to devices less. It also pulls the parents off the phone or social media as well. Because if they see the parents play may cause them a comparison. And think they have a right to follow this example.
Child and adolescent psychiatrist at Phyathai 2 hospital has recommended that consultations with physicians who are knowledgeable about game behavior should be done when the addiction affects a physical, mental and environmental health of the child.Or after the parents have tried to solve the problem as recommended above, and feel that it is not possible to adjust the behavior. A doctor will assess the cause and plan to help together with the child and family by applying a suitable plan. And may consider providing treatment in a hospital in case of serious mental problems to prepare the family and provide a treatment to the child.
Children’s Health Center
Phyathai 2 Hospital
