Your Child’s Main Focus
Playing video games is like being inside a movie, a reality that your child consumes themselves in. But too much of a good thing can be very bad when a child with ADHD hyper-focuses on their games and becomes addicted. If your child has severe ADHD symptoms, they may be at risk for an equally severe video game addiction- regardless of the type of video games they are playing or prefer.
Your ADHD child may not be athletic or have any interest in athletics, but for them, playing video games gives them the opportunity to compete in a different way, and to form friendships with like-minded gamers. But with time that was previously spent on other activities, such as your child’s studies or other peer connections; their solitary gaming has replaced those activities leading to possible video game addiction.
Video games can hold special attractions for your ADHD child. Your child that is easily distracted in the real world may end up being capable of intense focus, or hyper-focus while playing. Your child may also struggle with social skills, or lack the skills to play in team sports, so these games entertain and level the playing field. For children, they view video games as emotionally safe. Just like when a child strikes out in a baseball game, they are doing so in front of a crowd of people, but when your child makes a mistake while playing a video game, no one else has to know.
You may wonder why your child has difficulty focusing for extended periods of time at school but can maintain focus while playing video games. To answer this, video games are constructed differently. They only require short bursts of attention and fast responses. The game itself controls how your child pays attention to it. That is why with most children, they will tell you that video games are fun and exciting, with some even being educational. Gaming can improve their hand-eye coordination, and can even help with positive social interactions. One thing to remember is that moderation of gaming is needed before it becomes an addiction for your child.
Signs to watch out for with your child and video games.
· They think about playing a game all day long
· They spend increasing amounts of time on games
· They play games to forget about real life
· You have been unsuccessful trying to reduce their game time
· They may feel bad when they are unable to get to play the game
· They have fights with others (family or friends) over their time spent on gaming
· They neglect other important activities to play their games
If this sounds like your child, it is recommended to set limits on their game time
For preschoolers their time should be limited and supervised at all times.
Elementary school kids should be limited to 1 to 1.5 hours a day, including television time.
Middle school kids should be limited to 1.5-2 hours a day, including TV and cell-phone time.
High School kids can go up to 2 to 2.5 hours a day which can be negotiable, depending on their academic needs.
One key thing to remember is that flexibility is essential, just like with other addictions, good behaviors in everyday life should be rewarded. If your child shows good behaviors, then be flexible and allow them some extra game time.
How does therapy help with video game addiction?
We use cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to help your child shift their thoughts, replacing those that lead to compulsive gaming with healthier thinking patterns. Through parent coaching and directly targeting the source of your child’s gaming addiction, we will set goals and teach them to overcome their thinking that sparks their compulsive gaming.