Terrifying truth
nd. They end up often just scraping ugh school but then fall apart at versity, getting kicked off courses. n their relationship with their family been destroyed along the way.” is rehab clinic, based at The Cabin, hiang Mai, Thailand, treats Brits on 5-day total ban on computer use, ore introducing short supervised ne sessions over the next 45 days. It works with Game Quitters, a leading ne forum providing help and advice. We treat a lot of people from the UK have had inquiries from the parents a seven-year-old desperately ried by the amount of time he spending on games,” adds an, 49, from Dublin. The sad fact is that this n the increase yet it’s a blem we don’t take ugh notice of as a society. just don’t know enough ut the impact of handing an ipad to a six or seven-year-old and we may not know that fully for 20 years.”
The gaming industry cites reports by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health that say the harm from screen time was often overstated, and a Unicef study which found little evidence that a significant number of children were addicted, adding that “no evidence exists to suggest that moderate use of any digital technology has a negative impact on children’s brains”.
It also highlights research from Oxford University and Johns Hopkins University that the WHO move to classify “gaming disorder” was not evidence based, and that other research demonstrated computer games can positively influence cognitive, motivational, emotional and social development.
Dr Jo Twist, chief executive of the industry body the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment, adds: “Games are enjoyed safely and responsibly every day by more than two billion people of all ages across the world. The educational, therapeutic and recreational value of games is wellfounded and widely recognised.
“There remains strong opposition from the medical and with poor nutrition
■ Weight fluctuation combined
■ Lack of care about appearance time repeatedly broken
■ Pledges to reduce game-play of time spent on
■ Lying about the amount computer games when not playing
■ Irritation and anxiety scientific community to links between playing games and addiction, with evidence remaining highly contested. The industry takes its responsibility towards people who play games, particularly children, very seriously.”
For parents who are worried, Dr Graham says: “The best approach is to talk to your children to understand better what is going on and what their motives are for gaming. It is important to create a dialogue for understanding on both sides.”
Computer games are now a big part of the entertainment industry and they will continue to fascinate younger people, but it seems research could take years to deliver a definitive understanding of their impact on behaviour.
UKIE has safe games playing advice at askaboutgames.com Further advice is available at: parentzone.org.uk/article/ can-children-become-addicted-online-gaming