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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 "behavioural addictions"

Discussion Topic

Research on Parent-Child "Technoference"

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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

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An interesting look at writer, Ian Bogost's thoughts on Gaming Disorder. Clearly, he has not had first hand experience with a gaming addict when he argues that "games don't provoke physical reactions like tolerance and withdrawal the way narcotics do." I would suggest that he spend time in a room with a child who has visible tremors, brain exhaustion, and erratic and sometimes violent reactive behavior when withdrawing from gaming. What are your thoughts on his idea that a "Behavioral...
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Gambling, Gaming, and Technology Use Knowledge Exchange

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I was recently asked a key question I'd not yet been asked at any of my Talks. I didn't have an exact answer but felt it was important to know and to be prepared if this were to come up again. I had to ask my son, a recovering gaming addict, this poignant question. And after hearing his reply, I was inspired to write the following blog. This topic relates to the expression "It's not a problem until it's a problem." And as Robert Downey Jr once said, "Its easy to stop an addiction, its making...
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Can technology use help with anxiety and depression?

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In a TED Ideas piece that came out late last year, author Chris Dancy discusses how technology has helped him deal with his depression and anxiety. He uses technology to: log his physical symptoms, mental health symptoms, feelings, thoughts, and behaviours during a panic attack or depressive episode and then reflects on these digital logs as a way to know what to expect and that he can make it through watch videos of others with similar struggles so he doesn't feel alone track his app usage...
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Re: Can technology use help with anxiety and depression?

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Whether it is to temporarily distract from the overwhelming feelings or to learn more about strategies that work, it seems the best use of technology when one tries to find help from available resources in absence of another instantly available professional help. In practice, I often suggest the clients take the help of YouTube videos for guided meditation, positive affirmations, etc.
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Re: Research on Parent-Child "Technoference"

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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: Research on Parent-Child "Technoference"

Registered Member ·
Thanks Tiffany - I think the bi-directional nature of the relationship between parent technology use and child behavioural problems is an important consideration. Parents with children with behavioural problems would likely benefit from understanding, support and opportunities to learn positive coping skills for their own high stress levels.
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Re: Research on Parent-Child "Technoference"

Registered Member ·
Hi Tiffany, this is fascinating. Thank for posting! Can you elaborate briefly on what they meant by devices "that interrupt activities with their child on a daily basis." How can a device 'interrupt' an activity, particularly an interpersonal activity? Even a quick example would be great. Thanks!
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Re: Research on Parent-Child "Technoference"

Registered Member ·
Thanks for your question, Sylvia. According to the authors, the term technoference was coined by McDaniel and Coyne (2016) and refers to interruptions in interpersonal interactions or time spent together due to technology. This can include sending texts or emails, checking your phone or social media, and even picking up a phone call or answering a text during a conversation with your child (although this is not limited just to the parent-child relationship but to other relationships in your...
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Re: Research on Parent-Child "Technoference"

Registered Member ·
This is such important information for parents to understand in terms of interpersonal development with their young children. Although much of my Video Gaming Disorder Talk covers gaming teens and young adults, its important for parents to realize how their own behaviour with texting, emails and social media may be a contributing factor in the outbursts and tantrums they are seeing when removing gaming devices or reducing the hours their child spends gaming. Here's a good video clip with...
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Assessing gaming disorder: Expert opinions

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Gaming disorder can be difficult to assess, as there are concerns about over pathologizing normal or potentially healthy behaviours. A new study surveyed 29 international experts until consensus was reached about useful criteria for assessing gaming disorder. This study helps clinicians with creating their own assessments to ensure they're looking at the most relevant features in their assessment to target as well as ensure they're not problematizing less relevant features. An interesting...
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Mindfulness and problem gambling treatment.

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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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Serious games, mental health apps, and gambling disorder

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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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Behaviour change techniques used by family and friends of individuals with problem gambling

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Friends and family of people with problem gambling may experience harms although they do not gamble (or do not gamble in harmful ways) themselves. Often times, they can play a role in helping the person gambling change their behaviour in ways that reduces the harms experienced by everyone. However, these behaviour change techniques (BCTs) are not widely understood. A team of researchers recently helped codify BCTs that family and friends used to both minimize harms for the families/friends...
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Re: Behaviour change techniques used by family and friends of individuals with problem gambling

Registered Member ·
Family members who want to save the family home and/ business act quickly to get ownership in their names. Also,by getting money away from gambler,someone with no bank account can apply for Disability. People who have a Major Mental Illness like Mania get approved.
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Problem gaming & social media treatment research

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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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Podcast Interview with a Recovering Video Gaming Addict

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Many of you are familiar with my son's story of gaming addiction, as told by me in my speaking, webinars, and my books. Podcaster and recovered gambling addict, Brian Hatch recently interviewed my son, Jake, on his own, so he could share his journey through gaming addiction and recovery. Jake discusses what led him down the rabbit hole, how he struggled to overcome his compulsion, the support he received, and how he now manages his life, as well as his relationship with the internet, as a...
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Webinar Replay! ‘Swipe Sesh’: Exploring the Impacts of Dating Apps on Mental Health among Adults

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On February 10, 2022, GGTU kicked off part 1 of a new webinar series called The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Mental Health and Addictions . This series will feature 3 standalone yet interconnected webinars, each taking on a different topic in relation to technology use and mental health and/or addiction-related impacts. Part 1 featured Dr. Treena Orchard (Western University) presenting engaging new content called, ‘Swipe Sesh’: Exploring the Impacts of Dating Apps on Mental Health...
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Problem technology use, academic performance, and school connectedness among adolescents

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8871851/ 1. This article discuss about the problem technology use and the related effects on academic performance and student life. This article was prepared based on data collected from students. 2. The article clearly picturizes that females are more affected by excessive technology use and the resulted academic complications than male. The study also points to the fact that the connection between problem technology use and academic performance...
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Internet gaming disorder in an adolescent during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case report

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1. This case study reports the case of a 16-year-old student with a "typical" pattern of internet gaming disorder (IGD) developed during the pandemic, which improved after weeks of treatment with pharmacotherapy and psychosocial interventions 2. This study suggest that the combination of pharmacological treatment such as antidepressants (SSRI) and antipsychotics with individual and family-focused psychosocial interventions are useful in improving problematic behaviors. 3.This study pointed...
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Course reviewers

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Hi everyone. GGTU has developed a new course called Cognitive Behavioural Approaches for Problem Gambling Treatment. We are looking for 3 people to review the course and provide feedback on how long it takes to complete each of the modules. Compensation will be provided. Please email stephen.meredith@camh.ca if you are interested. Thanks. Stephen
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