When is a child considered a game addict?

The article was written by MSc Nguyen Thanh Long - Psychiatric Consultant, Psychological Clinic - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.

Not every kid who enjoys playing video games is addicted to games. The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed video game addiction as a mental health condition and a group of disorders caused by addictive behaviors.

Children are considered addicted to games if for a long time (at least 12 months) there are signs of loss of control due to playing games. Children spend too much time playing games, leading to separation from work or daily activities that should be done, away from surrounding social relationships. Children play games continuously without control, even though they know this is damaging to their health.
Game addiction is a disease. The WHO has classified some people who play games excessively as mentally ill. These are people who prioritize gaming over other life activities and interests and have persisted in this condition for more than 1 year, according to the criteria outlined below:
Loss of control over gaming (eg. deciding whether or not to play, playing circumstances, frequency, intensity, playing time and when to stop, etc.). Increase the priority given to gaming: When video games take precedence over other life and daily activities interests Continue or play more and more games, despite the appearance of negative consequences pole.

Playing games has a lot of influence on children's lives. WHO has shown that gaming addiction actually has a negative effect on a person's life. For children who are at the age of forming personality and lifestyle, the fact that games control life is extremely worrisome. Children spend time on games, so they don't have time to take care of their studies, physical training and health, and don't care about the world around them. Many children are addicted to playing games continuously, leading to an imbalance of circadian rhythms. Some violent games can make children addicted to games tend to be more aggressive.

If playing video games is affecting school, work, health or socialization, your child needs help.
The following questions can be answered to identify an addiction, to determine if the child needs help from medical professionals:
Does the child feel the need to cut back on playing video games on their own? ? Does your child get upset because others criticize the game? Does your child ever feel bad or guilty about playing games? Are games the first thing children think of when they wake up in the morning? Has there been a negative mood swing since you started this habit? Reduced social relationships – lost touch with friends, family?

Understanding what game addiction is helps us have a clearer concept of how to recognize and cope, especially for a parent who wants to determine if their child has a game addiction?
Parents often worry that “every game is evil and has a bad influence”. However, this is not correct in all cases. Gaming can have many benefits, it can enhance hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills and help people connect with each other. There are even games built with the intention of supporting certain health conditions.
Moreover, the more parents prohibit children, sometimes it makes children feel more motivated, more eager to play games. Therefore, the most important thing is to help children understand the harmful effects of game addiction, and at the same time help children adjust their behavior right from the time they show signs of being addicted to games.
Keeping a close eye on children's daily activities as well as having timely attention from parents is extremely necessary. In modern life, many parents are sometimes too busy without realizing that it is the lack of attention for children that makes children spend time in games, or when children already show signs of addiction to games without even realizing it. or get help.
Game addiction is a disease, but sometimes it is not easy to educate children's psychology and behavior. Therefore, parents can rely on the help of experienced psychologists to assess and improve the child's condition.