Gaming is popular. It’s fun, it’s challenging, and it creates opportunities for social connection. Unfortunately, video games can also be addictive. Approximately 8.5% of all teens show video game addiction symptoms.
Video game addiction can impact mental health, relationships, and daily responsibilities. Recognizing the symptoms—like loss of control, neglecting obligations, and withdrawal from social activities—is crucial for early intervention.
What is Video Game Addiction?
Video game addiction, also known as gaming disorder, is a behavioral condition where excessive gaming interferes with daily life, responsibilities, and mental well-being. It is characterized by an inability to control gaming habits, leading to negative consequences in personal, academic, and social areas.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes gaming disorder as a mental health condition when it significantly impairs functioning for at least 12 months.
Healthy vs. Problematic Gaming
An interest in gaming is common. Eighty-five percent of teens play video games, and of those, 4 in 10 play daily. Frequent game play is not a problem by itself. Playing video games can actually boost cognitive skills.
Many games enhance problem-solving, strategic thinking, and decision-making abilities. Fast-paced games improve reaction time and fine motor skills. Role-playing games encourage creative thinking and storytelling.
When teens engage with video games, they are getting benefits–however they are also getting dopamine hits to the reward center in their brain. For some, this can become an addiction-forming habit that can interfere with healthy development.
More specifically, problematic gaming behaviors occur because the individual has developed a dependency on video games where they use gaming to escape living in the real world. Instead of experiencing negative feelings associated with life experiences and using those feelings as a catalyst for healthy development, these individuals immerse themselves into video games to ignore the stimuli and delay development.
How Video Games Impact Mental, Physical & Emotional Health
Compulsive gaming habits can increase anxiety, depression and sleep deprivation while simultaneously delaying the development of healthy coping mechanisms needed to regulate emotions and succeed in daily life.
Physically, long hours of gaming can contribute to a sedentary lifestyle, increasing the risk of obesity, poor posture, and repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. Lack of physical activity can weaken cardiovascular health, while excessive screen time can lead to eye strain, headaches, and disrupted sleep cycles.
Emotionally, video games can evoke strong responses. While some, like excitement, are positive–others like frustration and rage can be harmful. Excessive play may also lead to mood swings, irritability, and emotional detachment from real-life relationships.
This, in turn, can promote overly competitive or toxic gaming environments resulting in aggression, social anxiety, or increased feelings of isolation and resulting depression. In one study of more than 1,900 teens, there was a strong correlation between the prevalence of video gaming addiction and suicidal ideation.
Common Signs of Video Game Addiction
Teen boys are particularly vulnerable to video game addiction due to the immersive and competitive nature of many games. While gaming can be a healthy hobby, excessive play can interfere with daily responsibilities, relationships, and overall well-being.
- Loss of Control
- Neglect of Personal Responsibilities
- Increasingly Agitated When Not Gaming
- Sleep Disruptions
- Social Isolation
- Obsession with Gaming
When to Seek Help for Video Game Addiction Symptoms
What does video gaming look like for your teen? And, more specifically, what problems does it cause?
Frequent gameplay alone is not inherently a problem. While you may want your teen to spend less time in front of a screen, the decision to seek help is typically motivated by declining mental, physical, or emotional health as a result of frequent gaming.
If your teen is experiencing video game addiction symptoms, the first step is to consult a licensed therapist. Through weekly outpatient therapy, a trained professional can get a better view of what is occurring and help guide you to appropriate treatment options.
For teens struggling with a gaming addiction, long-term residential treatment is often one of the most effective options. While short-term placements are available, it can take weeks–or months–to break habits, learn healthier coping strategies, and change behaviors.
Considering Residential Treatment? Speak with a Program Specialist Today!
Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch Provides Long-Term Residential Treatment for Video Game Addiction Symptoms in Teen Boys
Our holistic, Christ-centered approach to treating addiction in teen boys is effective in treating video game addiction. At TCAR, treatment begins with a foundation of clinical services designed to use evidence-based, medical interventions to stabilize behaviors.
Our clinical team includes on-site licensed therapists, a psychiatric APRN, and full-time nursing which allows us to safely and effectively manage medications, facilitate individual and group therapy, and monitor mental, physical and emotional changes throughout treatment.
This approach is paired with a Christ-centered environment rich with opportunities for personal and spiritual growth to facilitate the development of healthier coping strategies. Equine-assisted therapy and outdoor adventure help engage boys in therapeutic activities, eliciting full participation.Finally, our academic team provides individualized, and accredited, support in the classroom to help boys get–and stay–on track to graduate during treatment.