A Guide for Parents on How to Prevent Excess Screen Time & Online Gaming Addiction Among Children and Adolescents

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                    There are different things to which one can have chances of getting addicted to such as 

  • Cigarettes
  • Nicotine
  • Alcohol
  • Cannabis
  • Sedatives/sleeping pills
  • Pain killers
  • Illegal drugs
  • Gambling including Online Gambling
  • Gaming (Online/Video/Digital/Application based games)
  • Shopping including Online Shopping
  • Eating
  • Exercise etc.

            Addictions caused by substance abuse, gaming and gambling are one among the most common mental health disorders as per proven studies. Addiction affects people's thinking, judgement, emotions and behavior. In Latin, the word addiction means ''bound to /enslaved by''. Surprisingly, addictions due to gaming is the mental health disorder with the highest odds of recovery. 

Gaming Disorder can be defined as a behavior in which there is less or no control over gaming such that the priority given to gaming activity and its timings overtakes priority given to daily activities even at the expense of negative occurrences in one's life. 

WHO has included gaming disorder among the 11th revision of International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). If a person's educational, occupational, personal or social life is getting affected due to intense gaming interest for a prolonged period of time, he/she may be undergoing gaming addiction.

Children and Gaming Addiction :-


            Studies show that children who are addicted to video or online games exhibit similar behavior to other addictions such as alcohol or drugs. The minds of children are vulnerable and gets easily influenced by the false reality, fantasy and fascinations of online games. According to the studies published by Indian Academy of Pediatrics, a very early exposure to screen time is existing among Indian children. Children of different age groups should have a limit to the time duration of screen time allowed.

                    Age                                       Exposure to Screen time
            <2 years                             -        No exposure to any screen

     (2 to 5 years)  -   1 hour maximum /day if an  exposure is unavoidable (due to online classes or projects) with  compulsory break after every 30 minutes. 

         (5 to 10 years)  -       less than 2 hours / day if an exposure is unavoidable (due to online classes or projects) compulsory break after every 20 minutes.

As seen from the guidelines, the screen time is to be reduced as much as possible for children up to 10 years and is suggested only if it is unavoidable. Screen time in children should not be a replacement for outdoor activities, family or peer group interactions, cognitive skill development as well as studies. An increase in screen time proportionately increased the chances of children being exposed to online/digital games.

What are the factors leading to gaming addiction in children  ?


The major reasons of children or adolescents getting addicted to games such as video games, online games based on applications, digital games etc., can be due to one of the following factors:
  • unexpected lock down due to Covid-19 pandemic (one of the major causes of recent hike in game addiction)
  • children who had restricted outdoor activities/games 
  • who are lonely 
  • children who have learning disabilities 
  • kids with early introduction age to screen time 
  • parent's online/video gaming habits in front of children 
  • availability of increased number of screen devices at home without restrictions
  • families high in socio-economic status
  • non-restricted access to digital media
  • increased work from home hours of parents etc. 

How are children and teens affected ?

                
        In the Indian scenario, smart phone addiction is reported to be higher than TV addiction; Alarmingly, the former is at 96% and the latter at 89% at use respectively. Shockingly, smart phone addiction has dramatically risen to 44% by 2022 among adolescents. 

The increased interference of online games negatively affects their brain functioning. The parts of brain responsible for cognitive learning, emotions and behavioral developments can become underdeveloped over time. Moreover, addiction to online games can seriously interfere with their vision as well as eye muscle movements causing "computer vision syndrome" and reduced eye blink rate . 

            Research shows that getting exposed to violent video games involving murder, blood shed, sexual content, molestation etc., even for a duration of 10 - 20 minutes, increased the activities in a child's brain leading to fear, stress & anxiety in children. This increases emotional dysregulation. Excessive dopamine rush in brain and suppressed melatonin can interfere with sleep patterns and can cause sleeplessness and awakening (dangerously for up to even 2 - 3 days). 

Posture effects is the next major issue as while continuously absorbed in the online games, the stooping head and shoulders wear and tear easily leading to faster or early degeneration of cervical spine area. Obesity is the next major issue due to restricted physical activities or exercise while being engaged in gaming.

Delay in cognitive development such as language development, speaking, reading, difficulty in learning etc., are high among children addicted to games online/video as they rarely enjoy socializing or expressing themselves. Poor parent - child bond and decreased toy play time are also the after effects of such gaming addictions. Exposure to violent video games can enhance aggressive behavior,  increased physical fights at school and poor school performance thereby leaving long lasting negative impacts on a child's personality.

Withdrawal Symptoms of Gaming Addiction :-


The Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) shows withdrawal symptoms such as 'restlessness' and 'irritability' following the end of the game. When the smart phone or gaming device is removed, children as well as teens tend to show
  1. temper tantrums/mood swings 
  2. emotional fluctuations more evidently crying 
  3. arrogance towards elders / angry outbursts
  4. feeling of emptiness 
  5. aggression or violence
  6. Increased craving towards further gaming
  7. fantasies or dreams about game characters or game-in-friends
  8. obsessive thoughts about games
  9. sleeplessness 
  10. anxiety 
  11. difficulty with social interactions etc. 
Generally. withdrawal symptoms tend to spike for the first 84 hours after they quit and then tends to dissipate over time. Some children have reportedly attacked their parents physically when not able to access the games. Online or video game addiction is largely related to social isolation. If untreated, severe gaming addiction can lead to depression or suicidal tendencies.

What should Parents do to Prevent Gaming Addictions?


    Screen or media should not be used to facilitate feeding or calming down children, infants etc. Avoid screen time for infants below 2 years completely. Parents should engage children below 2 years, with physical play activities, story telling, music, dance, age-appropriate toys etc., to enhance early childhood development. 

      For children from 5-10 years, promote screen usage only if their studies or interaction with a relative living at distance, requires it. Children should have appropriate physical activities of 2-3 hours/day and ensure 8-12 hours good sleep every day.  Things watched by children during screen time should be strictly a) age appropriate b) non-violent and c) preferably interactive. 

 For 5-10 years :

  • Recreational screen time such as gaming should be strictly under and in the presence of the parent/guardian in a common room. 
  • Gaming becomes addiction when no one to control the duration of usage of the device. Hence, limit the time for gaming for your child. 
  • According to IAP recommendations, a child should not be provided an independent phone/laptop/tablet for his sole use. Provide any one of the parent's device with child lock. 
  • Co-view the contents of the video game whether digital/online to ensure child safety, privacy and security. 
  • Do not allow games of types were an anonymous partner or fights/explicit contents/violence is present. 
  • Social media usage is not for children of this age, who are not mentally ready to handle social platforms. 
  • Explain to them with proper scientific reasoning, why you have limited the game time and screen usage. Reward and appreciate them when they limit it accordingly.
  • Do not allow children to download games on their own.
  • Discuss with them about what all games they have played and how they feel after playing.
  • Digital Games should not be allowed within one hour before going to bed.

Precautions for Adolescents (10 to 18 years) :-

 
  • As part of healthy parenting, parents need to limit their own screen time/game time in front of children/teens before advising them about limiting screen usage. 
  • Parents should provide enough family time (zero gadget rule for all members) and physical play time with children and teens. 
  • Prepare a daily time table which includes specific time for studies & home work, outdoor activities, digital games, co-curricular activities, family time, meals time, sleep time (8-9 hours night sleep) etc. Restrict the game time as per this specified time duration. 
  • Firstly, the parents have to be familiar with the types of games before letting your teens try it on gadgets. Teens follow rules if they are guided in an empathetic and respectful manner.         
  • There should be clear digital rules about what all online games are allowed, which all apps can be downloaded or not etc.
  • Educate and discuss with adolescents about the harmful effects of game addictions as well as the reasons leading to it. 
  • Educate them about the traps and dangers of online games that involve money gambling and the need to maintain  media literacy.
  • Parents should update themselves regarding the sort of games their teens are playing, or are there any inappropriate /sexual/violent contents that they are watching/downloading. 
  • Educate them that online security, privacy, address, gender identity, other identity details etc., should not be shared with other players/users.
  • Provide proper privacy settings, safe search engines on apps etc. in the digital devices.
  • Ensure that teens are taking breaks in between games and not fully into it at one stretch for longer hours. 
  • Be watchful of warning signs of withdrawal symptoms. (When game is over, is your teen finding it difficult to return to normal daily activities, studies, outdoor activities, hygiene, sleep etc. ?) If you find any, immediately seek professional help with child counsellors. 

Bottom Line

        Boredom is a feeling which should be celebrated. Boredom time should be utilized for developing creative thinking and promoting imagination and creativity among children and adolescents rather than opting to increased screen time/digital games. Creative works with available resources at home includes painting, drawing, craft making, diary writing, story writing, reading, cooking, gardening, bird watching, sky watching,  science experiments and many more.............................................!!

Let them unfold their wings and fly high 🐤

Dr. Sheena Latif ☺️

Creativity in Boredom




Creative Craft toy play 




Chief Trainer and Founder, ' Academy of Life Skills Training & Development' Educational Counsellor ; Life Skills Trainer ; Presentation Guide.

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