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You are here: Home > Forum Home  >  Parents  >  Balanced gaming for parents of older children (aged 10 to 18)  >  Thread
   
 
is my kid addicted?
 
Bill MacKenty
Posted: 22 January 2009 08:13 PM   [ Ignore ]  
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Joined  2009-01-03

Probably not.

First of all, addiction isn’t a black and white thing. Even the venerable DSM 3R see’s nuance in addiction. We can see compulsion, obsession, and dependence.  Also, addiction isn’t always a permanent condition. There are various cures and fixes for addiction and addictive behavior. Not just the 12 steps.

My point?

Be careful about labeling heavy computer gaming as addictive. There’s heavy playing, there’s occasional bouts of immersion, and then there’s actual addiction.  I’ve always thought addiction is rare - an actual inability to stop playing. Game playing significantly disrupts work, relationships, and life. So please take some time to stop and really pay attention to what is getting done and what is not getting done in your kids life.
Just because you are uncomfortable with how much your kid plays games doesn’t mean they are addicted. Why are they playing so much?

I’m not saying game playing can be unhealthy - it can be. What I’m saying is before you throw around “addiction” think it through.

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