January 23, 2023 – Tomer Shaked, an 18-year-old highschool student from Florida, began gaming when he was about nine years old. “I spent more and more time playing video games, which I now know was a gaming addiction,” he says in an interview.
“I didn't play that much at first, and school and homework still came first. And when I turned 10, I was still only playing on the weekends,” he says. “But screen time increased. My parents set some limits, but eventually I learned to work around my parents' rules to get my 'game fix.'”
By age 12, gaming took up every free minute and was the one thing on his mind. He began lying to his parents about how much time he spent gaming, which destroyed his relationship with them. “All I wanted to do was play, play, play.”
Soon, “gaming was no longer just one Activity that I enjoyed. It was the only activity that I enjoyed.”
Most teens play video games “as a form of entertainment, and that's the intention. However, about five to six percent of video game users do so to the extent that it interferes with their lives and becomes an addiction,” says Dr. David Greenfield, founder and clinical director of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction in Connecticut.
Considering that there are about 2.7 billion gamers worldwide, in 75% of US households If you’ve got not less than one gamer, even the 5% to six% figure is an astonishing number.
Shaked has written memoirs, Game over, He hopes it would “shed light on important issues related to gaming addiction that can speak to both teens and their parents who are experiencing this conflict in their own lives.”
He hopes that other teenagers “realize that they can lead fulfilling and productive lives away from the screen.”
An issue of frightening proportions
Video games have been around because the mid to late Seventies, but not at the level it is at now.
“When video games met the Internet, it was like mixing peanut butter and chocolate. As the Internet's popularity grew in the late 1980s and 1990s, it spiraled out of control,” says Greenfield. His clinic treats people hooked on Internet content, and “by far the most common area we see is video games.”
What makes video games so addictive?
Greenfield says the brain mechanisms involved in video game addiction are just like the brain mechanisms involved in other addictions.
“The brain does not know the difference between a drug and a video game because gaming activates the same receptors that are responsible for all other addictions, including drug and gambling addiction.”
The most significant chemical within the brain is dopamine – a neurotransmitter chargeable for pleasure and reward, says Greenfield. From an evolutionary perspective, it’s dopamine that makes mating and eating – the 2 most significant survival activities – pleasurable and “increases the likelihood that we will continue to do them.”
With addiction, “you're using these ancient neural pathways and hijacking the reward mechanism that dopamine is responsible for,” he says. “On some weird level, the brain behaves as if the activity promotes survival, when in fact the opposite is true.”
People with this kind of addiction soon feel like there isn’t a other source of joy of their lives because they let other areas of their lives fall by the wayside because they focus almost exclusively on gambling.
This is what happened to Shaked.
“I think the appeal of games is the constant reward system,” he says. “They are virtual worlds where you can win real-time battles that can't be played in the 'real world.' That's how you can win soccer and basketball games, and it's very popular in the 'virtual' world.”
You get to the purpose “where you know the games and how to play them. You get attention and admiration online that are worthless in the real world, but are very addictive in the virtual world.”
And time flies. “Anyone who has ever played a video game – even someone without an addiction – can attest to the fact that time simply disappears,” says Shaked.
Warning signs for folks
What might initially be a small respite for folks—the youngsters play their video games and the parents get just a few minutes to themselves—evolves into something much larger. But this development doesn't occur overnight, and oldsters may miss the cues.
Things like:
- Not wanting to go away the home unless it’s needed
- I don't wish to go on holiday without gaming equipment
- Refusal to go outside
- Rush through normal activities like meals to get back to playing
Greenfield says parents should listen to changes in day by day lifestyle habits – fewer social contacts, changes in hygiene habits, less physical activity, less eating and poorer school performance.
“Most people who come to our center for treatment are brought by their parents or other family members. Many have stopped showering and taking care of themselves, they have become more isolated, their friendships are only linked to games or apps that allow them to communicate while playing,” says Greenfield, the writer of the book Overcoming Internet Addiction for Dummies.
Addictive video games can put strain on the bodywhich in extreme cases may even result in blood clots from prolonged sitting, electrolyte imbalances from fasting for several days and other problems (reminiscent of obesity) related to a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting in front of the pc can result in neck and back problems, headaches and vision problems, amongst other things.
Getting rid of gambling addiction
Shaked's journey was unusual: At the age of 17, he had an epiphany on his way home from school. “I looked at myself and wondered how I had spent my childhood. I spent more time in front of the computer screen than in front of my parents. You should never say that you spent more time in front of a computer screen than in front of other people, because that's pretty sad.”
He realized he had “lost” himself. “I was so lost in a fake video game world that I had lost my identity and had become a video game character, not a real person.” He decided to provide up playing video games altogether.
But most individuals don't have that type of revelation and wish family support and even skilled help to stop gambling, Shaked notes. He doesn't advise others to “quit overnight,” although he has done that. This creates an enormous void since the person doesn't yet have an activity to fill that point.
Greenfield, who can also be the writer of the book Virtual addiction, agrees. His center helps parents step by step reduce screen time by helping them install software that limits the period of time the teenager is allowed to spend in front of the screen. “Kids need to get used to living in real time because the brain gets used to the dopamine levels that come from playing games. They need to relearn how to feel normal pleasure in other areas of life.”
Some parents and kids may simply need education about gambling addiction, others might have therapy. Some may even need inpatient treatment. “The needs of gambling addicts cover the entire spectrum.”
It's essential to seek out a therapist who’s knowledgeable about video game addiction, Greenfield warns. Because videos are so common, less experienced therapists may dismiss gaming addiction as harmless fun. But gaming addiction must be taken as seriously as another addiction.
Today, Shaked leads a full and meaningful life. He is a rower and has won a Varsity Award. He accomplished a highschool law school scholarship, joined a beach cleansing crew, and won first prize in a state Spanish competition. He has also volunteered with the Jack and Jill Foundation of America and plans to donate the proceeds from the sale of his book to the inspiration that gives access to educational programs for kids from underprivileged communities.
“The organization really touched me and that’s why I dedicated this book to it,” he says.