A recent study reveals that 8.4% of children have mobile game addiction. The number is as of 2021. Researchers say this number is only going to increase. Well, it is time for a reality check. The following article is a guide on mobile addiction gaming and what can you do to curtail it. Let us understand the gaming addiction symptoms-
Gaming addiction symptoms
Gaming can negatively affect children’s mental growth and physical growth too. A child thinks nothing but plays mobile games whenever there is window time. To treat an addiction, it is important to understand its symptoms. The common gaming addiction symptoms are
● Hiding and deceiving things from parents
● Getting irritated with petty things
● Getting aggressive unnecessarily
● Depression and mood swings
● Prefers isolation and unsocial
Mobile game addiction effect
1. Affects Mental Health
Video game addiction has been classified as a mental disorder by the World Health Organization. Video games have been known to cause or exacerbate depression and other mental conditions. Violent games like PUBG and Fortnite are linked to causing anxiety and stress in children. Playing online mobile games for extended periods of time can also cause children to become introverted and alienate themselves from their friends and peers, leading to conditions like social anxiety. It also affects their sleep cycles, making them feel fatigued and unrested during school hours.
Have you ever wondered why online games often make children vulnerable? They want to score more, hit more, and capture more is making children restless. The mind gets tired due to a lack of rest and sleep. The tiredness shows in the work of the child at school, at home, and while socializing.
2. Physical Health Takes a Hit
Playing video games means your kid spends most of his or her time sitting in the same spot. This lack of physical activity will take a major toll on their health in the long run. Looking at a bright screen for prolonged hours can affect their eyesight, cause headaches, and impact their posture. And all that sitting can lead to increased weight gain and obesity, which in turn paves the path for a variety of other health issues.
Carpel tunnel syndrome develops wherein the wrist is inflamed with pain and becomes difficult to write. Gamer’s thumb makes the tendons of the thumb extremely painful.
3. Lack of socialization
Relationships matter for every age. One of the worst Mobile game addiction effects is deviating from socializing. Children often refrain from playing outdoors, meeting new people, and talking with their peers. Children stop sharing thoughts with their parents resulting in devastating irreparable repercussions.
4. Less time to focus on education
Concentrating on studies is the biggest challenge for a child. There is disinterest in the child as the child understands the language of gaming. Mere textbook print and stories do not interest them. The consequence being children get lower grades since there are unclear concepts.
How to get rid of mobile game addiction?
As mentioned before, there is no harm in limited use of mobile games. The following are the ways for you to protect teenagers from mobile gaming addiction and ensure that they use the games for a limited period and in the right way.
1. Create a routine for them
In the digital world, it is difficult for a child to abstain from playing mobile games. There is nothing more endearing than following a routine for a child to play. Set a time for the child to play online games so that he gets to play and is happy.
Let them know that they are only allowed to play the game for a certain hour at a specific time each day. You can use a parental control software like TiSPY to know if they are following the rule. It comes with a scheduler feature that captures screenshots at a scheduled time each day to let you know about their current activity. Even if you are not online while the screenshot is captured, it stays saved and you can view the picture whenever you come online. This way, you can catch them red-handed if they do not follow the rules and boundaries that you have set for them.
2. Allow gaming as a reward
Motivate a child to complete his tasks timely. How about rewarding the child to play games after completing a task or following the routine? Such a reward makes it a winning gesture for the parents and the child.
Allow them to play their favorite pubg mobile game for a certain time as a reward, if they complete their homework or help you with the household chores. This way, you can get the kids to do some important chores that they will surely complete each day and at the same time, they will get to have the time to engage in their mobile games. So, the wishes of both sides are granted effectively. However, initiate this idea in a healthy way and not as a manipulation whereby you reward your kid to make them do anything. That is not the right way of approaching the issue as the children get used to getting rewards and therefore, become unwilling to take any good initiative themselves.
3. Block/Delete certain games
Delete online games from mobile that are harmful to children. Do choose a parental control app that can support browsers on Firefox, Brave, Opera, Microsoft Edge, and Google Chrome. It is best to delete the games destructive to them.
The games like battle royal games and pokemon go game are highly addicted and it is not easy to let go of the habit of playing the games. You can actually use the TiSPY software to stop their addiction to the gaming apps once and for all. If you see that your child is unable to stay away from those apps, you can simply block them using TiSPY. You can actually help them deal with their addiction in this way because when they are unable to play games like battle royal for quite some time, the addiction gradually waned away.
4. Digital Detox
During digital detox time, it is important to spend time with your child. You may do things together with your child like paint, play board games, read, and do other activities. The digital detox will work when it is for a good 60 days, or 90 days.
5. Secure Phone in a Particular location
Without mobiles, gaming is not easy. Keep the phone at a distance where a child does not find it easily. It can be a shelf high up, cupboard, kitchen drawers, storeroom, or any other place aloof from the child. Make sure you keep the volume zero.
Help us know if this has helped you combat your child’s mobile game addiction.
Taking the right path in playing mobile games
There is nothing wrong with using smartphones to play a game once in a while. The games are not only one of the best forms of entertainment but also help to refresh the minds of the kids. Kids who are adept gamers are known to have better decision making and management abilities. You need to ensure that the practice of using the phones stays helpful and healthy for the development of the kids. Technology is a blessing when used rightfully by the kids but any wrong usage turns it against them and ends up causing an unhealthy addiction.
Smart measures to ensure safe device usage by your children.
