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Gambling, Gaming & Technology Use Community of Interest

The Gambling, Gaming & Technology Use Community of Interest brings together addiction and mental health service providers, researchers and subject matter experts in the fields of gambling, technology/Internet use and video gaming to collaborate and share knowledge on emerging trends and clinical best practices.

Tagged With "Gaming"

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OLG Modernization Under Way

Registered Member ·
The below release came out May 1, but I thought I'd get the thread for this new COI going by re-stating it! Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has signed a 20-year Casino Operating and Services Agreement (COSA) with Ontario Gaming West GTA LP (OGWGLP) for the West GTA Gaming Bundle. The West GTA Gaming Bundle is the sixth Gaming Bundle to transition to a service provider in Ontario. It is the latest step in OLG’s land-based gaming modernization. To learn more about this transition...
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CTV interview Should addiction to video games be considered a disease?

Registered Member ·
Hello, Yesterday morning, fresh off the heels of his attendance at the Royal Wedding, Ben Mulroney interviewed me about the inclusion of video game disorder into the ICD-11. Have a look: What do you think? Should it be classified as a disease?
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CBC News Article: Tech companies encourage us to be smart about phones

Registered Member ·
This newly released CBC News article discusses new Smartphone management tools that enable users to get daily and weekly activity reports about the total time they spend in each app, their usage and notifications as well as the ability for parents to put controls on usage. Featured in the article, @Registered Member points out that this may be one avenue to help reduce or minimize Smartphone use but that there are also other options such as turning off notifications and scheduling...
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Blog: Parenting Through Video Game Disorder

Registered Member ·
A newly released blog on Learn.ProblemGambling.ca highlights some of the challenges of parenting a child with problem video gaming. The blog was contributed by Elaine Uskoski, a holistic health social service worker and author of the book Seeing Through the Cracks . She discusses the experience of finding out her 19-year old son has a video game disorder and how they worked together to get him to where he is today. Read her blog here .
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Research on Parent-Child "Technoference"

Registered Member ·
A recent research article published in the journal Pediatric Research looks at the effects of "technoference" (defined as digital/mobile technology use that interrupts interpersonal relationships) in a parent-child relationship. Here are some interesting findings from the study that looked at technoference in 183 couples & their children over a 6-month period: 55.5% of mothers and 43.0% of fathers reported having two or more technology devices that interrupt activities with their child...
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Gambling, Gaming, and Technology Use Knowledge Exchange

Registered Member ·
I want to share a blog I wrote not long before the WHO made their announcement about Video Gaming Disorder being recognized as an official disorder. I first wrote and published a book about the transition between parenting your child and your adult child, as I found those years more challenging. Included in my story was part of the journey of my adult son's crisis through video gaming addiction. An organizer of Mindfest read the book and asked me to speak about Video Gaming Addiction. I...
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Gambling, Gaming, and Technology Use Knowledge Exchange

Registered Member ·
This article just came across in my emails today and I thought I'd share it. Dr Dunkerley has done some great work in her study of screen addiction. http://www.lovewhatmatters.com...oody-crazy-and-lazy/ Elaine Uskoski Author – Speaker – Holistic Practitioner ElaineUskoski.com 226-337-2070 Is video gaming controlling your child? 2017 Watty’s Award Winning Author of Seeing Through the Cracks
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Teens in urban regions are more likely to experience problem video gaming

Registered Member ·
Check out this post on the main EENet Connect site: https://www.eenetconnect.ca/topic/teens-in-urban-regions-are-more-likely-to-experience-problem-video-gaming?reply=366389314722069684#366389314722069684
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Teens in Urban Regions Are More Likely To Experience Problem Video Gaming

Registered Member ·
Our colleagues at EENet have just released a research snapshot on their website based on research of Shi and colleagues published in the International Journal of Mental health and Addiction . The study found higher levels of problem video gaming in teens living in urban areas than in teens living in rural areas. Interestingly, they also found that teens in urban regions with a gambling problem were more likely to have a problem with video gaming when compared to teens who did not gamble.
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Gaming and gambling

Registered Member ·
Research has identified a link between loot boxes and gambling. Loot boxes are an in-game purchase that players can make that includes randomized items that they may value. This random element of loot boxes is similar to random outcomes in gambling and there have been concerns that loot boxes may put players at increased risk of problem gambling.
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Parents should worry less about screen time, says UK doctors

Registered Member ·
I was in England over the Christmas break and the topic of screen time for children came up, which caught my attention for both personal and work reasons. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says parents should take a balanced approach to screen time and that it cannot be prescriptive. This is different from Canadian guidance which recommends no screen time for children under 2 and only one hour a day for children 2-4 years old. You can read the full article here.
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Mindfulness for gambling, gaming and technology use

Registered Member ·
I would have never known that I would be teaching clients how to meditate when I started in the addiction counselling field back in the early nineties. I was not even meditating back then, although I had started training in the martial arts, which I consider to be a form of moving meditation. I would not even have anticipated the types of benefits that I now see not only for the clients but also for myself and there is even scientific evidence behind them. Over the past several years,...
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The first long-term study on how screen time affects children's brains

Registered Member ·
The National Institutes of Health are currently conducting a study on over 11,000 children to look at the long-term effects of screen time. Preliminary findings show that children who use screens for more than 2 hours a day score lower on language and thinking skills. It will be interesting to see what else is uncovered as this study continues, including whether changes are dependent on what the screen is being used for and/or on the child's developmental stage. Read the full article here .
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CAMH Monitor e-Report 2017 - Gambling, Gaming & Technology Use Rates in Ontario Adults

Registered Member ·
The CAMH Monitor e-Report 2017 was just released, providing new gambling, gaming and technology use prevalence rates for Ontario adults. Below are some highlights. Gambling: The most common gambling activity was buying lottery tickets. 23.4% of adults reported betting on slots or table games at a casino in the past year, while 3.7% bet money online. 1.2% of Ontario adults had a moderate to high risk of gambling problems in the past year. Gaming & Technology Use: 5.6% of Ontario adults...
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Register Today: Mindfulness for Gambling, Gaming & Technology Use

Registered Member ·
Are you a mental health & addiction service provider supporting clients with gambling, gaming or technology use concerns? If so, you may be interested in our one-day interactive and experiential mindfulness workshop taking place on March 8, 2019 in Toronto. This workshop, hosted by @Registered Member, will provide you with an introductory overview of mindfulness meditation, the practices, attitudes and concepts, along with how to incorporate them into your clinical practice.
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Gambling, Gaming and Technology Use Community of Interest Survey

Registered Member ·
We invite you to complete a short survey about our Gambling, Gaming & Technology Use Community of Interest, which you can access here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GGTU-CoI . The purpose of this survey is to understand the extent to which our community of interest has increased your knowledge about gambling, gaming and technology use as well as your connections with other stakeholders. It will also help to inform the development of future online communities through EENet Connect. This...
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The increasingly blurred lines between gambling and gaming

Registered Member ·
Last week, we published an article on camh.ca highlighting how the lines between gambling and gaming are blurring. The article features quotes from @Registered Member speaking about her family's experience with video gambling problems and @Registered Member speaking about how gambling elements are increasingly found within video games. Read the full article here: https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/the-increasingly-blurred-lines-between-gambling-and-gaming I...
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ESports: 16-year-old Fortnite video game world champ wins $3M

Registered Member ·
This past weekend, the world's largest Fortnite esports tournament took place at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. The tournament, where qualifying gamers compete to get the most points in the Fortnite video game in front of both in-person and online audiences, is one of many esports tournaments that take place annually. At this particular tournament, there was $30 million USD in cash prizes. The winner, a 16 year old gamer, took home a $3 million USD prize, while the second place winner...
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Fall 2019 Newsletter

Registered Member ·
Just in case you missed it, our Fall 2019 newsletter was released today. Our newsletter recently merged with the EENet newsletter to streamline how you stay informed about trainings, webinars, research, and other news related to mental health and addictions in Ontario. You can find the full Fall 2019 newsletter here . If you haven't done so already, please sign up here to keep up-to-date with the latest gambling, gaming and technology use news.
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Re: Teens in Urban Regions Are More Likely To Experience Problem Video Gaming

Registered Member ·
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, @Registered Member. This is based on the results of one article, so it may be possible that other studies looking at the differences in problem video gaming between teens in urban and rurals regions could yield different results depending on the region, access to technology and offline activities available, among many factors. And thanks @Registered Member, I agree that it would be vital to educate students (and parents/guardians) about gambling, video...
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Re: Teens in Urban Regions Are More Likely To Experience Problem Video Gaming

Registered Member ·
Great question @Registered Member. I wonder as gaming and smart phone use get more recognition, there will be more references in pop culture, which will in turn bring more awareness to the issues. Just this month in GQ magazine, there was an article on cutting back on smart phone use that included several practical strategies including turning your phone to grey scale. Apparently seeing apps/pictures/games etc in grey scale is less appealing and people were found to reduce their phone screen...
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Re: Gaming and gambling

Registered Member ·
Thanks for sharing this interesting article, Steve! This study showed that as problem gambling severity increased (in adults), so did in-game spending on loot boxes. These findings lead to even more questions, including the effects on youth with and without gambling problems, the role of loot boxes in introducing youth to gambling, and the impact that evidence-based legislation can have on preventing or limiting in-game loot boxes. What do others think?
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Re: Gaming and gambling

Registered Member ·
Interesting research! The Australian Government is currently conducting a commission into loot-boxes (microtransactions for chance based items). You can read a number of interesting submissions (including my own ) on the topic. The Australian Government has also reached out to the Netherlands to clarify why they regulated lootboxes in games. Their response states: The Senate report is actually due today, but I haven't seen it yet. I've done quite a bit of work in this space. To those...
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Re: Gaming and gambling

Registered Member ·
I would absolutely be interested in your study of this area of gaming @Registered Member thank you
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Re: Gaming and gambling

Registered Member ·
Hi @Registered Member. Send me an email: steven@instituteofgames.com and i'll send you my working documents.
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Re: The first long-term study on how screen time affects children's brains

Registered Member ·
It will be interesting to see if they control for things like income and other social determinants of health. I have a sense that it might be more likely for parents with fewer resources to use the phone/TV as a coping strategy, especially if they don't have as much support as other more affluent parents.
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Re: The first long-term study on how screen time affects children's brains

Registered Member ·
Hi Nimira, You make an excellent point. Another thing to consider, on the opposite spectrum, is that many middle class to upper class schools now utilize tablets and laptops as part of the school curriculum. Does the content matter? Or is it just screen time. I wonder if the added family resources outside of school, that may support vacations, hobbies and sports (events away from screen time) and resources that support enhanced learning, is large enough to combat the effects of increased...
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Re: The first long-term study on how screen time affects children's brains

Registered Member ·
I was just about to say that Aaron! Content matters! This has been an ongoing debate and I'm afraid I'm on the pro-screen time. I find these studies skewed... "If you give a child an app where they play with virtual Legos, virtual blocks, and stack them, and then put real blocks in front of them, they start all over," Why would you test block-building capacity and say this skill isn't transferable when using real blocks? Seems pretty obvious. I'm sure if you tested for non gross motor skills...
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Re: Gambling, Gaming, and Technology Use Knowledge Exchange

Registered Member ·
Thank you for posting this article, Elaine! I think it is relevant food for thought for both parents and professionals. I especially like that she talks about the importance of ruling out and addressing electronics in mental health assessments. In the article, Dr. Dunkerley also says, “ Time and again, I’ve realized that regardless of whether there exists any “true” underlying diagnoses, successfully treating a child with mood dysregulation today requires methodically eliminating all...
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Re: Gambling, Gaming, and Technology Use Knowledge Exchange

Registered Member ·
I agree, Lisa. I took my son for a full medical assessment at the same time I detoxed him from video gaming. I also monitored his moods very closely, with the concern of his anxiety and depression increasing, and fear of suicidal thoughts. I have also heard from one of my holistic clients her concerns after the psychologist who sees her son, for severe depression, suggesting his client should "do what he loves", however the only thing he loves is gaming, and mom feels it's making the...
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Re: Teens in Urban Regions Are More Likely To Experience Problem Video Gaming

Registered Member ·
I am located in a rural county of Ontario with no access to transportation and a high rate of low income families who struggle to have access to sport available in our community, having said that you would think that problematic video game use would be more of an issue for the youth in our rural areas.
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Re: Teens in Urban Regions Are More Likely To Experience Problem Video Gaming

Registered Member ·
I like your idea Tiffany of adding safer gaming practices into curriculum with safer gambling information. I also think that there is a need for a paired curriculum for parents/guardians on both of these topics, especially as technology use is so ubiquitious. I wonder how influential overall wellness and mental health education would be at addressing some of those underlying issues and how students would respond if the curriculum not only taught safer gambling and gaming practices, but...
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Re: Research on Parent-Child "Technoference"

Registered Member ·
Such interesting findings! I wonder if the length of time that parents spend with their children make a difference to the level of technoference experienced, and in turn the behavioral outcomes - as stay at home moms of little ones under 5 spend a lot more time with their kids, and likely experience this to a greater degree than parents who work. I also wonder if there are any mediating factors that might reduce the behavioral problems seen in young children as a result of technoference?
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Re: Research on Parent-Child "Technoference"

Registered Member ·
Thanks for sharing the informative video, Elaine, and thanks Rebecca for your insightful questions. I think the current research article is scratching the surface and that more research and clinical evidence is needed on technoference and the long-term consequences on the parent-child relationship, the parent and the youth. As the article and Sarah pointed out (thank you!), it is likely a bi-directional relationship with many complex factors to consider. But this article does provide a great...
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Re: Research on Parent-Child "Technoference"

Registered Member ·
This is such an interesting thread. It's also brought to my mind the amount that technology is used in the classroom now. Even my son in JK had specific iPad time and tasks that he had to complete/lerning activities to complete. I would wonder if that will eventually factor in to the research as well.
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Re: CBC News Article: Tech companies encourage us to be smart about phones

Registered Member ·
Thanks for sharing, Matt! Just to add to this discussion - an article published yesterday in TechCrunch announces that Facebook and Instragram's new "digital well-being screen-time management dashboards" have been launched in the US. This dashboard shows how many minutes people use each of these apps per day and their average use in a week. It also allows users to mute notifications and set daily usage limits, after which a notification will come up to say they have surpassed the limit. What...
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Re: OLG Modernization Under Way

Registered Member ·
Modernization is continuing. The new Shorelines casino in Peterborough looks like it will open in the next month. I visited the site yesterday.
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Re: Parents should worry less about screen time, says UK doctors

Registered Member ·
Interestingly, the majority of their sample was related to watching TV, not playing games / cellphones / computers. I think this is a serious limitation of this research, as there are many significant differences in terms of interactivity, reward expectation, and level of stimulation between watching TV and playing online games, for example. As a psychiatrist, I will point out this limitation to my clients and continue to follow Canadian guidelines.
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Re: CAMH Monitor e-Report 2017 - Gambling, Gaming & Technology Use Rates in Ontario Adults

Registered Member ·
Thanks for sharing! Some encouraging info in the executive summary, too, such as substantial declines in cigarette smoking and texting while driving.
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Re: ESports: 16-year-old Fortnite video game world champ wins $3M

Registered Member ·
Interesting piece of information. I never took this computer games seriously. The tournaments are making them even more exciting for kids and teenagers, making our job harder to keep them away from electronics. Honestly, I am going to take a closer look at the game 😉
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Re: ESports: 16-year-old Fortnite video game world champ wins $3M

Registered Member ·
Fortnite was cited as a reason for more than 200 divorces almost a year ago. https://nypost.com/2018/09/14/...estroying-marriages/ Don't look too closely at the game....
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Re: CTV interview Should addiction to video games be considered a disease?

Registered Member ·
Great interview, Lisa! Lots of important information. Here's a brief article that highlights some of the negative consequences from the perspective of people with lived experience. This article also highlights the website/resource "Game Quitters". https://www.thestar.com/edmont...-need-more-help.html
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Re: CTV interview Should addiction to video games be considered a disease?

Registered Member ·
Here's another interesting article (academic article) looking at Internet Gaming Disorder. This systematic review focuses on definitions, symptoms, prevalence, and aetiology. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.co...f/10.1111/dmcn.13754
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Re: CTV interview Should addiction to video games be considered a disease?

Registered Member ·
This is an article that features the concerns some scholars have about gaming being included in the ICD-11: "Scholars' open debate paper on the World Health Organization ICD-11 Gaming Disorder proposal"
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Re: CBC News Article: Tech companies encourage us to be smart about phones

Registered Member ·
Thanks for sharing this article, Tiffany. I think tracking and monitoring usage is a good first step to increasing self awareness around the possibility of over-usage and can allow people to start questioning whether their level of use is causing problems at all. There are also other apps (e.g., Rescue Time, Cold Turkey, Self Control, etc.) that help capture this info and/or allow users to block certain websites to help minimize use.
 
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