Thank you for participating Tara.
Q
What are some of the main challenges parents/caregivers face when addressing gaming / video game addiction with their children/kin? What have you found to be effective in addressing these challenges?
A
The biggest challenge I see is that parents do not follow through with consequences of poor behaviour of their child. They don’t have clear rules in place, and so the child ends up making decisions on what is acceptable behaviour. Restrictions are not made as to the amount of gaming time their child is allowed, so it becomes a free-for-all in their home. Parents do not supervise gaming, but allow it to be played behind closed doors in their child’s bedroom. The child is not expected to eat at the table with the family, but instead eats in front of their computer or gaming console. Children are not required to perform household chores or clean their bedrooms. Excessive gamers become either despondent and depressed or volatile and verbally or physically violent when gaming is removed. And parents do not understand the value in gaming or why it's being used as a coping mechanism, so they constantly speak of gaming in a negative way.
My first approach is to have parents stop the negative dialogue, the lectures, the put-downs, and the constant battling with their child. It’s ineffective. I look for ways to have the child move away from gaming for short periods of time and have them re-connect with healthier communication with their parents and siblings. I request that consoles and computers are moved to a central location in the home where they can be supervised. I advise that they do not allow any eating in bedrooms and the child must eat with their family and remain at the table for at least 30 minutes to eat and talk. No conversations about video gaming is allowed during this time. I have parents require their child to do chores, not to earn gaming time, but if they do not do chores or eat with the family, they lose allotted gaming time. Parents must learn to follow through with consequences. This way, the gamer is in control and makes the decision not to engage and therefore lose gaming time. I recommend a visit to the doctor for assessment and to get medication and/or counseling for a child who becomes depressed. And I suggest the family gets extra support systems to deal with a volatile situation that needs to be diffused.
Q
Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected how you speak about gaming? In what ways?
A
COVID has certainly made me aware of how much more difficult it has been for children and families to cope with gaming. Many parents are working from home while also trying to help children with online learning, and it's quite a juggle to supervise as closely with work as a distraction. Children’s mental health is suffering more as they miss their school routine and their friends. For some children, online learning is far too difficult to grasp and remain focused on. Teens are logging into class and then opening gaming tabs along with social media and Discord tabs and are playing and talking with friends rather than following their school lesson. Kids are missing activities outside of school such as the Arts and Athletics and are turning to gaming out of boredom and/or to connect with online friends. So, I am certainly sympathetic to this challenge and do address it with families.