Addicted to the screen?

Rachael - posted on 05/14/2010

My daughter would easily become happily addicted to videos. I finally sat her down and told her that if there was going to be constant nagging/whining/begging/pouting about the TV, then there would be NO TV at all. Period. I took it away for a week and then let her try again. She still asks, but accepts No readily enough now.

Dawn - posted on 05/13/2010

The computer is a very high priority for my son too. Most days he is on playing 2 or 3 games, plus his DS. And when he comes off he complains of being bored. This is partly due to his Aspergers I believe. His brain is assimilating info so quickly, he needs the input. Now that he is 11, I find the games are getting more dungeons and dragons fantasy types that interest him. And now the school is taking advantage of his interest and channeling his love of the game into getting curriculum style work out of him through the topics he is interested in. Being gifted has not reflected in all his subjects, especially literacy, until now. Use of computer programs in school and use of his interests is creating a love of literacy again.

Trish The Dish - posted on 05/11/2010

When my son was about 4 years old, I started having "Game Day" on saturdays. Were we would pull out board games and play cards for about 2 - 4 hours. And when that started to lose the appeal, I found a book that taught all kinds of kids card games. It was a GREAT success!!!
But as my son got older, he started to lose interest and has been like this also. I have to say that I TOTALLY agree to setting rules and consistant reminders, as they are a HUGE helpful tool here. I also encourage him to go outside to play, but on rainy days it's just not happening...
So I have come up with the idea of a "no screen day" meaning no tv, pc, or video games at all!!! Instead, we bring back "Game Day" and invite some friends. Of course when friends come to play, they sometimes try to con me into letting them on a screen. But I remind them that we are having a "No screen day" and that if they don't want to play without a screen, then they will have to play outside or go home. They don't usually like this possibility, and decide to give up on the screen. Then I usually pull out something for them to snack on while we play. This is usually a big hit!!!
Hope this helps...

Anna-Marie - posted on 05/10/2010

My son who's almost 7 loves his games too, but we have a few rules about it now which help. We have it all in the living room (even the computer) so we know exactly how long he's on it & what he's doing (this becomes important as they get older so you know their not doing anything inappropriate). He's only allowed 1 game, (it doesn't matter if he picks the Wii, X Box or computer, it's still only 1 a day), the Lego games are good (Lego Star Wars etc) because each level takes about 20 minutes to play, so once he's finished a level he knows he has to turn it off. If he's being naughty he doesn't get to play it, (no matter how much he tantrums), & if he starts getting angry or frustrated with a game it goes off straight away, (games are meant to be fun). Finally, he is only allowed to play it after school after 4pm and only after he's had afternoon tea & done all his homework. He is also not allowed to play it after dinner, so he knows he only has about an hour to decide if he wants to play. Because of this last rule, we find that some afternoons he goes outside to play & totally forgets about it. Sometimes he gets upset at dinnertime that he forgot about it, & we remind him how much fun he had playing instead & that the games are always there but his friends aren't.
As long as you keep telling him the values that go with it, he should be fine. We are constantly reminding our kids about how important being outside playing is, that it costs money to have these machines running, & get him talking about the games he plays, (what he likes & what's the best bit etc). Keep communicating with him & you will be able to slowly transfer that to other topics as he gets older so hopefully he won't be tempted into other behaviours when he's older.

Elizabeth - posted on 05/07/2010

Oh, the warning thing about transition time works great. I let my stepson know it's time to find a save point in 10 minutes, he will usually save it right then and there and hop right off (because he knows when I say he can play later, I live up to that promise).

I know video games get a ton of flack, but let me put this question to you, would you be as concerned about addictive behaviors if he was playing with a favorite toy for 3 hours at a time, or reading a favorite book over again? I'm not saying there aren't real problems out there with kids who do nothing but play video games, but a kid who is excited to play video games as much or more than his other activities isn't a bad thing, just a personal preference. I'm 28 and I play Final Fantasy XIII on our Xbox, and I love a great casual game on the computer.

:)

Elizabeth - posted on 05/07/2010

My stepson was this way, until he met a little friend here who isn't into video games as much. But from 6 to about 9 years old, it was constantly "Can I play a video game?" I think they are just thrilled to be doing something independently at that age, that it holds great appeal. I stepped up the difficulty of games for my stepson and included ones that needed reading (appropriate RPGs like Final Fantasy III for the DS, Star Ocean Til the End of Time for Playstation 2). Now, he is all about his computer, and a little less about video games. We also do video game time as a family(rock band and wii) and I love video games myself as a recreation so that helps me understand his draw. I wouldn't say it means he's going to be an addict later on. The latest guidebook for mental disorders does not include video game addiction as a mental illness because it doesn't fully fit all of the criteria. I would say do your best to channel this interest, such as we showed my stepson the beginning of C++ programming, so he could learn what is behind all of these games he loves, and he's also done some graphic design with me and has his own website. We turn it educational as much as possible, hope that helps.

Laura - posted on 05/06/2010

My 8 year old is too. He is so mad when he has to get off. our psychologist suggested giving him transition time. So when he has 15 minutes left of his time start giving warnings. It makes it easier. I also asked about addictive behaviors. She said that you just have to be aware of their friends when they get older and guide them as best you can. Addiction is a big issue with us as my step daughter died of a drug OD. She and my son are a lot alike. She was not addicted to any electronics before though. It is very normal for them to be like this because the games give them constant input and it is like an addiction. You just need to maintain your rules and don't give in. I know it is hard.

Mandi - posted on 05/06/2010

My son is also highly addicted to the TV. I found disconnecting all electronics for 3 months helped put it more in proportion. Summer is a great time to do this.
ALl children are at risk for addictive behaviours. You need to constantly remind them or their path. Deal with the excess addiction now so it is not a problem later.

Michelle - posted on 05/05/2010

My son is also addicted to his DSI. We just stick to the limits we set for him. Sometimes he whines about not being able to play, but I tell him thats the rules. Luckily he also likes playing outside so I can distract him from video games by inviting a friend over to play. As for getting older, I guess we just have to wait and see what happens. We've talked to him about our family values and morals and he seems to have a great understanding of what we expect of him.