Parents’ Guide to Video Game Addiction with Cam Adair
This is a hugely important episode. Video games are part of almost every kids life, but there is a difference between playing for fun and using them to replace real life. Games like Minecraft and Fortnite have become part of our popular culture and make up a large part of kids’ social lives.
According to the World Health Organization, video game addiction is now an official mental health condition. It changes a child’s brain chemistry and can lead to depression and isolation.
In this episode, TEDx speaker Cam Adair talks about his experience with gaming disorder. He also tells us why video games are so addictive, how to recognize the signs of video game addiction in our kids, and how parents can set healthy boundaries for gaming.
[bctt tweet=”‘Kids are always going to push your boundaries, but you have to stay firm. And especially for parents, you have to do your own emotional intelligence work yourself.’—@camerondare #gaming #gamingdisorder #videogameaddiction #kids #parenting” username=”gooddadprojct”]
About Cam Adair
Cam was raised by a loving mother and father, but he always struggled with anxiety and depression. He used video games as an escape, and they provided him relief for a time. The problem was that escaping his mental health issues didn’t fix anything. Cam became so depressed that at nineteen years old, he didn’t feel like there was any point in continuing his life anymore. He wrote a suicide note and was going to kill himself that night.
Luckily, his friends invited him to go watch a movie. That was enough to distract him from his plans so he could think about what he was doing. He knew that there was a big difference between thinking about suicide and actually planning it. It was serious, and he went home to ask his father to get him counseling.
Cam still struggles with his issues but has found healthier ways to deal with them. He’s also founded GameQuitters.com, a resource for parents and teens on how to prevent video game addiction and how to detox from gaming to get back into a real, fulfilling life.
[bctt tweet=”‘The thing that’s always kept me alive is knowing my parents’ love and knowing that ending my life wasn’t just about me…’—@camerondare #dads #men #fathers #moms #mothers #parenting #suicide” username=”gooddadprojct”]
What You’ll Learn
- That 13% of kids between grades 7 and 12 have reported a problem with game addiction
- The negative impact on the brain every year earlier a child starts with games and screen time
- How gaming prevents kids from developing the intangible skills they need
- Why video games are entertaining and fun, but cannot fulfill us in life
- The paradigm of instant gratification that makes normal life boring
- The emotional needs gaming and tech fulfill
- escape
- social connection
- measurable progress
- certainty and purpose
- How the stimulation of gaming far exceeds what you can get in real life
- Why kids addicted to video games experience withdrawal
- The 3 structural brain changes that take place during video game addiction
- Numbed pleasure response
- Hyper reactivity
- Willpower erosion
- How it takes 90 days for brain to come back to normal levels after quitting gaming
- Which games are more addictive than others and why
- The incorporation of ads, in-game offers, and gambling type games online
- How kids face being a social outcast if they don’t participate in gaming
- Is there a healthy way to game?
- What can parents do?
- The dangers of video game binging
- Why you should let your kid get bored
- How to help kids during transition phases during the day
- How to talk to your child about video game addiction
- Why knowing what you stand for as a parent will help your child
- Why you should connect with other parents who share the same goals
[bctt tweet=”‘Parents need to live an inspired life to be an example to their kids.’—@camerondare #parenting #parents #moms #dads #children #kids #gaming #fortnite #minecraft ” username=”gooddadprojct”]
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