In this digital era, video games have become a common pastime for youngsters.

Although gaming can be a fun distraction or hobby, there are potential health risks

from too much gaming. Video game addiction is an impulse control disorder that is

similar to that experienced by those suffering from gambling addiction. Therefore, the

addiction of youngsters to video games can be avoided in a few ways like setting

time limits for playing and sticking to them, discovering a new passion, and parents

need to communicate with their child who is addicted to video games.

Firstly, set time limits for playing video games and stick to them. Health issues

in youngsters will become more serious if they spend too much time playing video

games. This is how gaming addiction aggravates youngsters’ health. For example,

spending too much time playing video games may cause vision problems, especially

eye strain. This may lead to headaches and poor concentration. According to

Bhandari (2023), the World Health Organization has added “gaming disorder” to the

2018 version of its medical reference book, the International Classification of

Diseases. This shows that video game addiction has become a major problem for

youngsters. To avoid these problems, parents should set a time limit for them to play

video games by creating a schedule. For instance, parents should allow them to play

video games after they come back from school. This can really help them to release

their stress. In contrast, parents should not allow them to play video games before

sleep since this may make it difficult for them to relax and fall asleep. Setting a time

limit for playing video games can help to overcome addiction by creating healthier

habits. It establishes boundaries, encourages moderation, and allows time for other

important activities, gradually overcoming addiction. Therefore, it is important for

parents to play a role in setting a strict time limit for youngsters to overcome video

game addiction.

Next, youngsters should discover and develop a new passion, which can be

an alternative source of joy instead of playing video games. Engaging in a passion

allows youngsters to keep learning, develop new skills, and stay excited. As

youngsters grow up, they will become inquisitive about everything and tend to spend

most of their time learning and practicing their new passion. For instance, youngsters

would eventually start to set boundaries of playing video games when they are going

to embrace the outdoor activities that get them up and moving such as hiking and

camping. This will lower the health risks of sitting and playing for long stretches of

time (Is Video Game Addiction Real?, 2023). Consequently, youngsters would be

less likely to get stuck on gaming if they have other things to keep them occupied.

Furthermore, the pursuit of a new passion encourages a balanced lifestyle to help

youngsters to reduce the risk of overindulging in video game addiction. Hence, the

discovery of a new passion is undeniably an excellent approach to prevent

youngsters from falling into the trap of video game addiction.

Lastly, communication with youngsters that are addicted to video games is an

effective way to overcome video game addiction. By engaging in open and

empathetic discussions, parents can help bolster their children’s self-esteem and

create a conducive environment for change. Thus, parents as important stakeholders

should take the initiative to communicate with their youngsters about the detrimental

effects of playing excessive video games. For example, addiction to video games

can lead youngsters to lack focus and concentration during the class, a decline in

both physical and mental health as well as an escalation in the risk of aggression.
Positive two-way communication is essential to ensure that addicted youngsters

understand there is a problem if addicted to video games. It is also significant for

parents to come down to the youngsters’ level both verbally and physically.

According to Ians (2023), parents need to communicate honestly and build trust with

their children to know what game they are playing. This will directly and indirectly

cause the addicted youngster to self-reflect. Subsequently, they will actively take

steps to overcome the seduction of video games. So, communication with

youngsters that are addicted to video games is an efficient measure to overcome the

addiction.

In conclusion, playing video games provides an alternative way to entertain

youngsters and become a part of them, but it is not a tool to restrict them. Video

games are still growing today as the negative effects will also increase over time.

Therefore, measures such as setting time limits for playing video games and sticking

to them, discovering a new passion, and communicating with youngsters who are

addicted to video games are needed to overcome this problem.

REFERENCES

Ians. (2023) Want to help children out of gaming addiction? Here are some tips.

Retrieved August 20, 2023, from

https://www.onmanorama.com/lifestyle/news/2023/06/19/help-children-out-of-

gaming-addiction-tips.html
Is Video Game Addiction Real? (2023) Retrieved August 20, 2023, from

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/video-game-addiction