One of the types of addiction that plagues teenagers these days is video gaming addiction. Teenagers spend lots of hours on their mobile devices and computers playing these games because of the pleasure they derive from it.
Parents are not usually aware of their teenagers’ addiction because they try as much as possible to hide their habit from them.
One of the major reasons why teenagers are hooked on their video games is because, staying away from it would render their efforts useless. Hence, it is better for them to remain as close to the game as possible.
If you suspect your teenager is addicted to video games, here are some steps to treat this addiction:
Create a schedule
An easy way to disrupt your teenager’s gaming schedule is by creating a schedule for them under your watch. You should allot a particular time for them to play their video games and when the time elapses, they should get to their books or perform other activities.
If you feel your teenagers would be hooked on their devices when they are away from you, say in school, you can discuss with their teachers to keep an eye on them.
Create other fun activities for them
You need to take up the responsibility as a parent to ensure your teenagers do not remain addicted. It might be hard to achieve this at first but you need to be consistent.
You have to create fun and healthy activities for your children that would make them develop interest in these areas other than video games.
Counseling
If you suspect that your teenager’s addiction is chronic and beyond your control, it is best to take them to a counselor. The responsibility of the counselor is to assess the teenager and create a treatment pattern to bring them out of their addicted stage.
Also, the counselor would suggest ways to you that would be helpful in monitoring your teenagers so that their addicted lifestyle is not sustained.