READER LETTER OF THE WEEK

Hi Jude,

My grandson is in his teens and doesn’t seem to want to come out of his room much. I wondered if he is okay, but my daughter says he’s “gaming” on the computer. He just grunted when I asked him about it. Do you know what it means exactly? And why is he doing so much of it?

So – some explanation on the term “gaming”... It is not the traditional definition of years gone by, like going to a casino to play betting games.

In a modern sense it is more often used to describe playing a video game on a computer. That computer will probably be connected to the internet so the player can join with other players in the same game, who could be anywhere in the world. That’s the “what” explained.

The “why”? Well, it’s a whole new world he can escape into, have friends in, and have fun in.

Is it anti-social? Not with the online mates, but with everyone else in the household, for sure, hence the amount of time spent alone in his room.

The grunting? One could say that is typical of teenage boy language, but personally I don’t think it’s okay to use life stage as an excuse for bad manners. Saying hello and sharing 10 minutes of conversation when he is in the room with his grandmother doesn’t seem like a big ask to me.

Don’t take it personally. He will most likely grow out of this gaming phase and once again have things to talk to you about for a few minutes when you visit.

If your daughter’s not too fazed, take her cue, don’t worry about the grandson’s current obsession, and enjoy spending time with her instead.