Put down the controller: Expert explains game addiction
December 2, 2009
By Ari Cetron
By Ari Cetron
Do you worry that your child likes their Xbox a little too much or maybe they spend a bit too much time on Facebook?
They might be addicted, according to Dr. Hilarie Cash, a psychotherapist who is working to help people kick their electronic habits.
“All addictions are the same,” Cash said. “It’s something that goes on in the brain.”
Cash, who is part-owner of a nearby clinic devoted to video game and Internet detox, will be speaking at the upcoming meeting of the Sammamish Kiwanis.
The idea of Internet and gaming addiction is likely to strike a chord with some Sammamish parents, said Robert Keller, vice-president of the Sammamish Kiwanis.
So, when he heard about the work Cash does, he invited her to speak to the Kiwanis members.
“Internet gaming is becoming a youth’s focus,” Keller said. “I think there are a lot of parents who would say they’d love to get their kids away from computers.”
Cash acknowledged that the psychological community does not yet formally recognize electronic addictions, such as the Internet, video games, social networking and pornography. However she said research is ongoing in the field.
She said that while there is not much evidence, there have been some formal studies of the phenomenon.
In these, she said researchers found that in some cases, people’s brains have a similar reaction to using the electronics as they would to other more widely recognized addictive substances.
“The brain scan result is the most convincing,” she said. “It’s the same pleasure.”
Cash, who has co-authored a book about the topic, says that there are some warning signs parents might want to look for in their children, or in other adults.
One symptom would be spending more and more time playing the game, or using the Internet. As with substance addictions, a person can need more and more stimulus to get the same feeling, Cash said.
“Your body develops a tolerance and can go into withdrawl,” she said.
Children giving their parents a hard time about logging off, and being deceptive about the amount of time they spend engaging in the activity can be another warning sign, Cash said.
For parents who want to head off potential addictions, Cash recommends curbing the amount of time children spend playing games or on the computer. For children under 7, she says there should be no time at all.
Brains are fragile at that stage of development and even limited exposure can have long-term consequences, Cash said.
“You really want to limit this during childhood,” she said.
After that, she would suggest about one hour per day until students reach middle school. for middle and high school students, Cash says no more than two hours a day.
That time des not including more mundane tasks, like research or reading news, but the more pleasure-oriented tasks.
Cash says that people who spend fewer than two hours a day in those activities are least likely to develop an addiction.
Editor Ari Cetron can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 233, or samrev@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.Sammamish Review.com.
Do you worry that your child likes their Xbox a little too much or maybe they spend a bit too much time on Facebook?
They might be addicted, according to Dr. Hilarie Cash, a psychotherapist who is working to help people kick their electronic habits.
“All addictions are the same,” Cash said. “It’s something that goes on in the brain.”
Cash, who is part-owner of a nearby clinic devoted to video game and Internet detox, will be speaking at the upcoming meeting of the Sammamish Kiwanis.
The idea of Internet and gaming addiction is likely to strike a chord with some Sammamish parents, said Robert Keller, vice-president of the Sammamish Kiwanis.
So, when he heard about the work Cash does, he invited her to speak to the Kiwanis members.
“Internet gaming is becoming a youth’s focus,” Keller said. “I think there are a lot of parents who would say they’d love to get their kids away from computers.”
Cash acknowledged that the psychological community does not yet formally recognize electronic addictions, such as the Internet, video games, social networking and pornography. However she said research is ongoing in the field.
She said that while there is not much evidence, there have been some formal studies of the phenomenon.
In these, she said researchers found that in some cases, people’s brains have a similar reaction to using the electronics as they would to other more widely recognized addictive substances.
“The brain scan result is the most convincing,” she said. “It’s the same pleasure.”
Cash, who has co-authored a book about the topic, says that there are some warning signs parents might want to look for in their children, or in other adults.
One symptom would be spending more and more time playing the game, or using the Internet. As with substance addictions, a person can need more and more stimulus to get the same feeling, Cash said.
“Your body develops a tolerance and can go into withdrawl,” she said.
Children giving their parents a hard time about logging off, and being deceptive about the amount of time they spend engaging in the activity can be another warning sign, Cash said.
For parents who want to head off potential addictions, Cash recommends curbing the amount of time children spend playing games or on the computer. For children under 7, she says there should be no time at all.
Brains are fragile at that stage of development and even limited exposure can have long-term consequences, Cash said.
“You really want to limit this during childhood,” she said.
After that, she would suggest about one hour per day until students reach middle school. for middle and high school students, Cash says no more than two hours a day.
That time des not including more mundane tasks, like research or reading news, but the more pleasure-oriented tasks.
Cash says that people who spend fewer than two hours a day in those activities are least likely to develop an addiction.
Editor Ari Cetron can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 233, or samrev@isspress.com.
Other Stories of Interest: Sammamish Kiwanis
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