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Is VGA really a thing? Big ya. In response to the growing problem among children and teens, a growing number of video game addiction (VGA) lawsuits have been filed.
Now, hundreds of plaintiffs are seeking financial compensation from opportunistic game creators like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite – charged with intentionally using the same built-in rewards technology as gambling casinos to hook children and teens.
“Dude, one more time man, you’re so close to leveling up!” – is the subliminal message repeating on loop. It’s all about the high.
When Does Love of the Game Become Addiction?
Video game addiction is described as an uncontrollable obsession with earning higher and higher points to earn challenge rewards, random rewards, trophies, and skins – making it irresistible to vulnerable gamers who develop a habit of playing nonstop to reach new levels that are always just out of reach, just a gaming session away.
Internet gaming disorder is also characterized by exaggerated emotional outbursts like temper tantrums or hurling a controller at someone when instructed to give the screen a break.
The preoccupation keeps escalating until all other interests hold very little importance, even basic life routines like eating, sleeping, showering, studying, human connection. The more a gamer plays, the more tolerance he builds: a bigger kick is required to feel the same high.
- Loss of track of time when using electronics.
- Agitation when interrupted.
- Preference for using electronics rather than playing other activities.
- Difficulty following time limits; loss of interest in other activities.
- Restlessness when not using a device and preoccupation with getting back on.
- Avoiding homework and chores because of spending too much time with electronics.
- Sneaking a device when no one is around and lying about it.
What Can I Do If My Child is Addicted?
It’s crucial to seek professional advice but also to follow your gut. Depending on the extent of the addiction, attempts to modify existing behavior may or may not be enough. Cynthia McNulty, mom of 9-year-old Matthew, found that trying to regulate her son’s existing behavior only made the torture worse.
“If your child were addicted to drugs or alcohol, would you let him have just a little bit? My child was addicted to video games, and I wasn’t doing enough to help him recover, she told ADDITUDE. “That is where the honesty – and the detox – began.”
They had to go cold turkey, she said. “No iPad, no DS, no Xbox, no computer, no Nintendo Switch, no access to my phone. Nothing.”
Less severe approaches include:
There Are Legal Options, Too.
If your child’s gaming has reached the point where his/her life has taken a serious left turn and/or there has been permanent damage, the video game addiction lawsuit seeks monetary reckoning from deep-pocketed manufacturers who deliberately designed their games to be extremely habit-forming.
That’s why we’re here – to help you and your child or teen hold the gaming industry accountable for knowingly creating an addictive product for the sake of profit.
Since we are women, we’re here for women. We’re moms too. As this blog is posting, many of us are raising young children and teens attached at the hip to their screens. We get it.
SOS, big time.
