Addiction to video games and new technologies in young people
Playing video games is not a problem, but some young people make electronic leisure their lives.
We are currently witnessing the continuous improvement of technologies, something that benefits us enormously. However, some of these technologies, such as some of these technologies, such as video games, are a form of entertainment used by many young people and, if misused, can lead to addiction..
This does not mean that the simple fact of using them leads directly to addiction, but it does mean that we must be careful. This type of tools that allow us to spend our leisure time are used by many of us, however, there are people who are more likely than others to be addicted to them, However, there are people who are more likely than others to develop an addiction to them: young people..
This part of the population spends a lot of time in front of the screen, whether it is a computer, a cell phone or a video game. And they are more likely to develop an addiction to new technologies. For this reason it is essential that they have tools to prevent it.
Addiction to video games can be approached from many different perspectives, you just have to know how to look at it well.
The DSM-5 recognizes video game addiction.
Pathological gambling or pathological gambling, although it was previously recognized as a problem to be treated, has been included in the DSM-5 in its latest edition.
The fourth edition of the manual classified pathological gambling as an impulse control disorder that did not contain sub-categories. However, in the DSM-5, a new heading is now established that includes non-substance addictions, and video game addiction is one of these behavioral addictions..
The reason for being classified as such arises because these addictions are experiencing rapid growth in recent times. More and more people, especially young people, are falling into an addiction in which the addictive object is not a substance, but a behavior.
It is for this reason that it is it is essential to have as much information as possible about behavioral addictions, especially to new technologies.especially to new technologies, a group to which video games belong.
Is there treatment?
If we had to define video game addiction, we would do so by saying that it is either compulsive consumption or the uncontrollable need to use them all the time, or the uncontrollable need to play them all the time..
In the event that this need cannot be satisfied, it generates significant discomfort in the addict. In general, the fact that the adolescent is always in his room can be an alarming symptom. Of course, we insist that just because they are used, there need not be a problem.
But there is something that is necessary to keep in mind: what separates addiction from what is not addiction can be a very small step, and that is why it is essential to pay as much attention as possible to detect the signs of addiction. And in case you see that the addiction exists, to be able to put yourself in the hands of specialists in the treatment of the same.
Step by step, without haste but without pause
The first step to overcome video game addiction is exactly the same as in the case of any other addiction. It is necessary to recognize and identify that the problem exists.
The next step is to find the help that is necessary for the person. It is essential to find professionals who have experience in the treatment of behavioral addictions and who know how to treat the person. They will not only be able to perform personalized treatments, but will also be able to provide guidelines to the addicts themselves and their families so that they can continue to work day by day to overcome that addiction.
On the other hand, it is also it is possible that the degree of that addiction makes necessary a concrete and specific treatment with medication, but this will depend on the degree of addiction.However, this will depend to a great extent on the case we are dealing with and on whether there is any disorder associated with the addiction to video games.
In any case, it is very important that if you have a child who you suspect may be suffering from an addiction to video games, you help him/her to work on overcoming it in a calm and serene way. You must make him/her see that it can be achieved with work and with the support of his/her closest circle.
(Updated at Apr 15 / 2024)