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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 "Screen time"

Discussion Topic

Mindfulness and problem gambling treatment.

Registered Member ·
A few years ago, problem gambling clinicians in Ontario began introducing mindfulness groups to clients as they felt that they could benefit from cultivating greater awareness of their thoughts and emotions while detaching from and not giving in to them. This practise is particularly relevant to people with gambling problems who tend to hold incorrect or erroneous beliefs about the nature of random chance (Toneatto et al., 1997; Turner, 2006) and engage in automatic thinking before, during...
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Lonely adolescents are susceptible to internet addiction

Registered Member ·
Loneliness is a risk factor associated with adolescents being drawn into compulsive internet use. The risk of compulsive use has grown in the coronavirus pandemic: loneliness has become increasingly prevalent among adolescents, who spend longer and longer periods of time online. Read the whole story here. Have you seen innovative ways to address loneliness in teenagers during the pandemic?
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Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for problem gambling manual

Registered Member ·
In Ontario, treatment for people with gambling problems was first implemented in 1995, in response to the opening of the province’s first commercial casino in Windsor. With extensive clinical experience and excellent research since then, knowledge about what constitutes effective treatment has been growing, but no one approach suits everyone. Treatment services have instead tended to adopt an eclectic and holistic approach, incorporating a biopsychosocial-spiritual model that draws on...
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Re: Movies on problem gambling, gaming & tech use

Registered Member ·
Amazing @Registered Member! Thank you so much, I have already downloaded a copy (and attached here in case others are curious to check it out). Also, I would welcome an updated article.
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Re: CTV W5 Segment on Video Gaming Addiction

Registered Member ·
Oh we'd love that! If you'd like you can email my CAMH email so I have you contact details and we can let you know as soon as we have a date set, it would probably be some time in late April/early May marie-claire.conlin@camh.ca
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Re: Movies on problem gambling, gaming & tech use

Registered Member ·
I wish I had time to update it. So much to do. So little time. Note there are also some movies reviews I've done published on the JGI. For example I published a comparison between the two versions of "Walking Tall".
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Re: Gaming and Youth - Health Matters

Registered Member ·
Mahfuz is definitely best to respond here. There was one interesting study recently of 120,000 Chinese school children aged 6-8 that showed an increase in short-sightedness during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's important to remember we don't know if this is because of increased screen time or less time spent outdoors in daylight (or both). It's also worth mentioning this is short-term data so follow-up would be needed to see if these changes are significant over time (can our vision easily...
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Webinar Recording (+ answers to your questions) - Teens and Smartphones

Registered Member ·
Thank you to all of you who came to this weeks' webinar: Teens and Smartphones: Exploring young peoples’ views of smartphone etiquette, ‘addiction’ and healthy tech use habits. You can watch a recording and download the slides here by toggling to the 'Archive' tab on this page (the recording begins around the five-minute mark). I answered several of your questions during the session but wasn't able to answer all questions so have tried to do so below. Thanks again to everyone who came, it...
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Webinar: Apps, Traps and Roadmaps - The Latest in the Convergence and Strategies in Addressing Gaming & Gambling

Registered Member ·
This is a great webinar series I've been attending this month. The next session (tomorrow at 1pm) is super timely and I'm sure will be of interest to many of you. Details below: Maine Council for Problem Gambling / AdCare March 19, 2021 (1:00 - 2:30 PM EST) Apps, Traps and Roadmaps: The Latest in the Convergence and Strategies in Addressing Gaming & Gambling Presenter: Julie Hynes We have seen the convergence of video gaming and gambling for some time now, notably with things like loot...
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Technology, risk and gambling seminar series

Registered Member ·
The University of Sydney's Technology Addiction Team is hosting weekly one-hour seminar for the next nine weeks on a wide range of topics relevant to stakeholders interested in understanding how design and emerging technologies impact gambling, including risky decision making and behaviours. For a list of dates, topics and speakers and registration information, please click here . You can watch previous webinars in the series here . Be mindful of international time differences . Seminars are...
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Serious games, mental health apps, and gambling disorder

Registered Member ·
The title of a recently published article, A Serious Game to Improve Emotion Regulation in Treatment-Seeking Individuals With Gambling Disorder: A Usability Study , peaked my interest for a few reasons. First, being part of a group of folks who design and create learning opportunities for mental health and addictions clinicians, we have talked about integrating "serious games" (broadly defined as games with educational or informational aims, vs. purely entertainment) into our course design.
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Re: Funding for Interventions

Registered Member ·
Hi Olive I can't find the original document but it is called Ontario's problem - gambling Strategy and it has been in existence since 1996. Since 1999, it has been funded by a formula of 2 percent of gross slot machine revenue from charity casinos and slots at racetracks. The Strategy has a three-pronged approach consisting of treatment, prevention/awareness and research. I have attached a review of the strategy that was conducted in 2005. You can also find some information about it at the...
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Re: Problem Gaming Q&A with Elaine Uskoski (May 6-7, 2021)

Registered Member ·
Thank you again for joining us on the forum, Elaine and for offering your time and sharing your story. Watching the documentary sparked a number of initial questions and further reflections: What were some of the things that you and Jake worked on together during that time when he was first stopping/reducing his video gaming? How is Jake doing now? It appears that Jake felt like an “abstinence” approach was what worked best for him. At any point, did you ever try a “harm reduction” approach...
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Re: Problem Gaming Q&A with Elaine Uskoski (May 6-7, 2021)

Registered Member ·
Thanks for asking me to be a part of this event, Marie-Claire. I'm happy to answer questions in order to help others have a good understanding of gaming addiction from mine and my son's experience. Q What were some of the things that you and Jake worked on together during that time when he was first stopping/reducing his video gaming? A The first time Jake detoxed from gaming, after he had time to rest and get back on a regular sleep cycle, he joined me in morning fitness classes in order to...
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Re: Problem Gaming Q&A with Elaine Uskoski (May 6-7, 2021)

Registered Member ·
Thanks for your question Anita. Q Hindsight is 20/20. It’s always easier to reflect on what you might have done differently when you have the knowledge of what came before. Looking back, were there warning signs that you are more aware of now that you can share with other parents/caregivers? A Yes, there were warning signs. Jake had lost interest in the sports activities he’d loved. He spoke mostly about online friends and much less about friends at school. He had more difficulty waking in...
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Re: Problem Gaming Q&A with Elaine Uskoski (May 6-7, 2021)

Registered Member ·
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...
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Re: Problem Gaming Q&A with Elaine Uskoski (May 6-7, 2021)

Registered Member ·
Yes, I remember when I worked with teens and parents as an EA for several years that young teens especially really appreciated clear rules and expectations around behaviour. Especially when it was consistent, it helped create a sense of safety and trust (plus some learning time and patience from parents/carers in those times when teens wanted to explore and test how firm those boundaries are!) Dr. Brene Brown speaks a lot about this on her podcast too. Older teens could also help co-create...
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Re: Problem Gaming Q&A with Elaine Uskoski (May 6-7, 2021)

Registered Member ·
This makes a lot of sense to me as well. If there isn't a clear contingency of what is and isn't allowed/expected, then people are going to test where those boundaries are. Especially if the choice is between doing something that they find engaging vs. something that may be important but isn't as immediately as captivating. Do you think that for older teens/young adults that it's better to set clear rules/expectations or to have discussions on time management, values/priorities and how they...
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Re: Problem Gaming Q&A with Elaine Uskoski (May 6-7, 2021)

Registered Member ·
Great question Mahfuz What I find often is that parents are rewarding children for following rules, rather than setting up a system where the child has a consequence of losing whatever their personal currency is when they don't follow through with expectations. I suggest parents make a list, that is clear for the child to follow, that contains both personal responsibilities as well as chores that are required. This list can be discussed and created with the child. But some of the items are...
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Re: Problem Gaming Q&A with Elaine Uskoski (May 6-7, 2021)

Registered Member ·
Thanks for your questions, Chloe. Q How would you help parents differentiate healthy and enthusiastic gaming from problem gaming? A Recreational gamers are able to self-regulate their gaming time. They play for short periods of time and understand there are many translatable skills that gaming offers such as problem solving, team dynamics, determination and tenacity, and micro and macro managing. These players still enjoy a variety of other activities outside of gaming. Escapers and High...
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Re: Problem Gaming Q&A with Elaine Uskoski (May 6-7, 2021)

Registered Member ·
Thank you to all of you who posted questions over the past two day and thank you again Elaine for taking the time to join us online for this Q&A . Please note that if you are reading this after 5pm on May 7, 2021 this Q&A discussion is now closed. We asked Elaine where people could connect with her and find out more about her work: Website: https://eyespyhealth.ca/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shedd...videogamingaddiction LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaineuskoski/...
Discussion Topic

Problem gaming & social media treatment research

Registered Member ·
For those of you who checked out the webinar, " What we know about treating problem gaming " in Late March this year (archive linked if you haven't!), the article the presentation was based on has just been published which you can find here . Some highlights: We reviewed 41 treatment studies for problem gaming, and did not find any for problem social media use. 8 studies were categorized as pharmaceutical, with Buproprion showing the most promise 26 studies were categorized as psychotherapy,...
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Re: Gambling Awareness Jeopardy Game

Registered Member ·
Good Evening Veronique, I created one while employed at Addiction Services of Thames Valley. Some time ago. They may have an updated copy (see adstv.on.ca). Here is a to a link to the copy I have available: https://drive.google.com/file/...Vk/view?usp=drivesdk
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Covid-19 impact on clinicians study

Registered Member ·
We are still conducting this survey. If you have not completed it and work with people with gambling problems please complete the following survey. Dr. Nigel Turner at CAMH is conducting a short survey aimed towards clinicians who help people with gambling problems. The purpose of the research is to better understand: how your clients have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how you have adapted your services in response to the pandemic. In addition, you will be asked questions about...
Discussion Topic

Webinar archive and replay: Problem technology use in adults

Registered Member ·
If you missed the engaging webinar on June 17, 2021 called 'Problem technology use in adults' presented by Dr. Mark van der Maas of Rutgers University, please check it out in GGTU's archive! This webinar focuses on a recent study of problem electronic device use among Ontario adults and encourages reflection on how much time we spend on our devices. To view this webinar and accompanying slides, please visit GGTU's Trainings and Webinars archive page and select the Archive tab.
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Time spent gaming and psychiatric symptoms in childhood

Registered Member ·
Many parents of young children worry about how much time their kids play video games and if that may cause mental health problems later on. However, few longitudinal studies have been done to examine how playing games at a young age impacts psychiatric symptoms later in life. A Norwegian team of researchers looked into this and found the following in a sample of 791 children: More ADHD symptoms at age 8 predicted more gaming at age 10 Gaming did not predict any more psychiatric symptoms The...
Discussion Topic

Covid impact Survey

Registered Member ·
Dear EENet Connect members: Dr. Nigel Turner at CAMH is still conducting a short survey aimed towards clinicians who help people with gambling problems. The purpose of the research is to better understand: how your clients have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how you have adapted your services in response to the pandemic. In addition, you will be asked questions about your educational, training and support needs to better serve your clients at this time. The survey will serve as...
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Re: 'Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now'

Registered Member ·
Interesting post! I will check out this book. Although I know I'm not personally ready to delete all my social media, I have consciously reduced engagement with platforms such as Facebook over time and also have felt the benefits. I have my doubts that we will see a social media-free future, especially as we navigate through a new reality where a continued or new pandemic(s) may threaten ability to gather and travel for long stretches of time. Social media provides easy ways of staying...
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Re: 'Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now'

Registered Member ·
I'm wondering what some of the arguments in the book are? I'm in a weird boat, where, I never got popular social media like FaceBook growing up (despite the peer pressure to do so) but grew up with everyone around me having it. I always felt that, even a decade ago, it was odd to put up your communications with everyone to see it vs. individualized messaging or communities (like specialized forums). I felt that amongst different friend groups, family members or work colleagues - they knew me...
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Re: Can jurisdictions effectively impose limits on videogame use by kids?

Registered Member ·
I saw a similar article earlier last month where Tencent, one of the larger Chinese video game companies, made a pledge that they would reduce play time for minors to an hour during weekdays and no more than two hours during vacations and holidays. They did this after Chinese state media made a comment about video games being “spiritual opium”. The company also implemented measures such as facial recognition systems for certain games to prevent kids from using their parents’ IDs to buy...
Discussion Topic

A $25 Opportunity for Youth Gamers

Registered Member ·
The YMCA-Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP) is looking for Canadian youth 18-26 years old to take part in a focus group on gaming and gambling. The purpose of the focus group is to examine the types of gaming and gambling activities that youth engage in and their experiences with loot boxes/loot crates/player packs, esports, gambling activities etc. Youth will be also presented with questions for an upcoming survey on youth gambling and gaming, and asked for feedback, ideas, and...
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National Inventory of Mental Health and Substance Use Services and Supports for People Transitioning Out of the Criminal Justice System

Registered Member ·
This week, the Mental Health Commission of Canada launched a directory of community-based mental health and substance use services and supports available in Canada for people who are transitioning from the criminal justice system into the community. This national inventory represents a new step towards reducing the barriers to service access that are often experienced by justice-involved persons, especially those who are re-entering the community from correctional settings. Importantly, this...
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Cybersickness: Emerging thoughts and research

Registered Member ·
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in screentime for many of us, including how we work, shop, socialise etc. With this rise in screentime, some of us are beginning to experience negative physical effects such as nausea, headaches and eye strain. Cybersickness is receiving increasing attention from researchers and the media as tech continues to develop. This article from The Converation describes Cybersickness as the following: " Cybersickness refers to a cluster of symptoms that...
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Re: Technology Use and Bipolar Disorder: a Double-Edged Sword?

Registered Member ·
I haven't had experience with BPD specifically, but I can definitely appreciate the double-aged nature with the populations I have worked with. Client's that I've had with ASD, have had difficulties with technology as part of their diagnoses (e.g., restricted and repetitive behaviours) but have also found it as a way to mitigate some social communication deficits they may have had (e.g., more time to think and respond over technology than face to face). Some limited inpatient experience I've...
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From Sick to Click! Is William Osler Health System enhancing patient care and experience in their Emergency Departments, via new innovative technology?

Registered Member ·
Emergency Departments have been the hardest hit during the last couple of years with COVID-19 cases being in flux and on the rise. This has raised concerns for non-related visits thus throwing patients into further panic(demic) since accessing care has everyone scrambling. What did the Hospital do to support more efficient patient flow, ensuring they can continue to care for its community? They launched the following digital platforms: An online Emergency Department (ED) pre-registration...
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In the news: (CBC) Ford government could lose $2.8B over 5 years in online gambling bet, confidential report warns

Registered Member ·
A CBC article published today outlines how the Ontario government could lose up to $550 million in annual revenue with the arrival of the online gambling market in Ontario ($2.8 billion over the next five years). The projections, outlined in a private and confidential report to one of Canada's largest gaming companies, suggests that the province is set to lose money due to individuals spending more money on online gambling and moving away from land-based casino gambling (the taxation rate is...
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Supporting African Caribbean Black (ACB) Women with Gambling Concerns: A Best Practices Guide for Professionals – A wonderful collaborative article and a must read from the team at Jean Tweed and their project partners.

Registered Member ·
As February comes to a close with us celebrating and honoring Black History Month , we are only mindful at GGTU to ensure we send out a tribute to the Jean Tweed article, spearheaded by Angela Allen. This well written guide needs to be shared within our community since it shines a light on their wonderful research and helps us better understand and support African Caribbean Black (ACB) women with gambling concerns. After a thorough literature review and survey being conducted, the results...
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GGTU Training Needs Assessment

Registered Member ·
The Gambling, Gaming and Technology Use (GGTU) program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health creates training products and resources for clinicians working in the area of addictions and mental health. We would love to hear from you about how we can serve your training needs better. Your participation in this survey helps us continue to deliver high-quality products and support. This survey should take approximately 5 minutes and will remain open until Thursday March 24 th at 5 p.m.
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EENet Connect wants to hear from you!

Registered Member ·
It is that time of year again and we would like to hear from you! What do you like about EENet Connect? What do you want improved? By providing us with your feedback, you can help us make the platform more useful and easier to use. The deadline for completing the survey is April 1st, so we hope to hear from you soon! The link to the survey is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EENet_Connect
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Digital Burnout: How it May Impact Perceptions of Problem Technology Use

Registered Member ·
Digital Burnout: COVID-19 Lockdown Mediates Excessive Technology Use Stress by Sharma Manoj Kumar, Anand Nitin, Ahuja Shikha, Thakur Pranjali Chakraborty, Mondal Ishita, Singh Priya, Kohli Tavleen, Venkateshan Sangeetha View the article here Discussions of how events of the Covid-19 pandemic might impacts various areas of human life have been a hot topic for debate over the previous 2 years. With outbreak numbers stabilizing and the resuming of "normal" daily activities more recently,...
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Re: Ontario is moving quickly to approve online gambling operators.

Registered Member ·
I recall a time when gambling was very restricted and limited in Ontario. Now it seems to be a free for all.
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Re: Digital Burnout: How it May Impact Perceptions of Problem Technology Use

Registered Member ·
Great find on an important topic! Like you said, looking at PTU based on the amount of time appears even more inaccurate now. This strengths the idea that PTU involves looking at case by case and whether or not it is causing issues for people. For example, spending 8 hours a day streaming shows when you are unable to work or engage in your normal meaning activities due to COVID lockdowns has a very different level of impact compared to spending that same amount of time streaming when you now...
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Re: Video Game and ADHD Video Resource

Registered Member ·
Hello Rosarie, Thank you for your sharing. Definitely the feedback loop is a way to tackle problem technology use. A behavioral conditioning would be useful to minimize screen time.
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The Future of Esports

Registered Member ·
The Future of Esports - INTENTA Sorry - I'm not the greatest at technology, but if you are able to access this, it is an interesting read about Esports. I had absolutely no idea how big of an industry this is! The growth rate of Esports is astonishing! The global esports audience number will pass 500 million people this year. The increase in numbers, will have more people talking, more people wanting to see what this is all about, and therefore neglecting some of their responsibilities to be...
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Re: Anxiety, loneliness and Fear of Missing Out: The impact of social media on young people’s mental health

Registered Member ·
The urges absolutely happen! I myself can go through phases where I am more mindful then others. I see many people as well in my personal life/ work life feeling the need to "check their phone". Great to discuss from an early age when its a "good time" to review your social media/ phone as to when it may be more beneficial to absorb the moment we are in.
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Re: article about societal impact of tech overuse

Registered Member ·
Thanks for sharing this! I've often thought about the impacts of PTU on our brains - as a parent of young children, I worry about how much time they spend online and how excited they get when they see something the first time and then how that continues when they watch something over and over. I think that the connection that people are getting online isn't giving what is needed for sucessful relationships. If the key to treating addiction is relationship, then perhaps there is a disservice...
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Re: Anxiety, loneliness and Fear of Missing Out: The impact of social media on young people’s mental health

Registered Member ·
I really liked this article, I think it is an interesting time to be discussing these topics while still being somewhat consumed by Covid restrictions and the world just opening back up to us. I think we can all agree anxiety, loneliness and fear, of missing out have all been very real feelings experienced by almost everyone over the past 2+ years, has social media had any positive effects on anxiety, loneliness, and fear of missing out while young people have been essentially stuck at home.
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Current topics in PTU - Video from WHO

Registered Member ·
https://theconversation.com/digital-addiction-how-technology-keeps-us-hooked-97499 The above link briefly explores how technology is designed to "keep us hooked." There is a video included from the WHO. This article/video gives a brief explanation on the effects of problem gaming and the criteria for recognizing PTU. They place a focus on the difference between problem gaming disorder, and gaming behaviour. The speaker states how problem gaming disorder can only be diagnosed over time by a...
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Re: Social media break improves mental health

Registered Member ·
I think this article will stay with me for a period of time, and I will begin discussing this in my own work with clients who have been struggling with depression, as more information into the negative impacts it can have on MH.
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FREE Virtual Webinar: When Gaming Meets Gambling

Registered Member ·
Are video games like Candy Crush gambling? How do video games promote gambling among youth? What is a Freemium Model game? All these questions and more will be discussed in this free webinar being conducted by the YMCA of Greater Toronto's Youth Gambling Awareness Program. Game-Bling is an interactive webinar designed for service providers and parents of youth, during which we will explore the dangers of the blurred lines between gaming and gambling and provide tools to understand and...
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