Video Game Addiction
How can you monitor and manage your children’s use of the internet?
Do you think it’s a good idea to let them have connection in their room or should they be in a family common area where their use can be supervised and monitored?
If you have ever accidentally googled links to inappropriate sites, what are the odds your child might?
How do you know if your kid has a video game addiction? Do they sneak playing and break rules to get to play? Do they get in trouble over playing? Does playing video games interfere with their schoolwork? Does it interfere with their relationships with peers or family members, like you? Sounds like an addiction to me. Does an alcoholic keep booze in their house? Why or why not? Codependence and enabling means you buy in the idea that they NEED their video games to be okay. How is this possible? I can see the idea that they can become dependent and think they need them- is this healthy? I’m thinking human beings lived and thrived on this planet for a long time before video games came along- they are unique to this generation; I’m thinking this must mean we can be okay without them. My kids know if they don’t respect the rules about internet use and video games, if they end up causing us too many problems, I am okay with getting rid of them- I certainly don’t need my kids to have these things.
If you have a kid on the spectrum who is young I would advise you to be very wary of letting them play too much, as they get older I often hear parents lament the fact that there is nothing else their child enjoys doing, no other reinforcer, and it is the only way they can unwind and escape. How did this happen? I’m pretty sure we had kids with autism spectrum disorders before we had video games, and they found a way to make it. If you are only just beginning the war with your child over electronic use, watch out! See my video on this topic at www.icyouvideo.com