Tips for Parents

Present a United Front: Parents need to present a united front – it is important that all parents and caregivers take the issue seriously and have an agreed and consistent strategy for children and back each other up.

Establish Clear Limits: Parents need to establish clear limits on how long and how often children can play games online. This may include a written contract or rules for age-appropriate children. The best way to determine limits is to involve the children and sit down together to work out what is a reasonable amount of time to play the game. By involving teenagers in the decision-making process, they are more likely to adhere to the boundaries set. Many gaming devices provide parental controls such as limits on how much time devices can be played per day.

Establish a Space for Gameplay: Where games are played is another important consideration. Ideally, games should only be played where parents can easily supervise game play, such as common areas in the house rather than children’s bedroom or playrooms.

Introduce Technology Breaks: Ensure that children have a technology break, there should be hours in the day and certain times when everyone should avoid devices – including parents. Family mealtimes can be a useful start and parents need to act as role models and emphasise the importance of social connections, without devices interfering. Engaging together in healthy, social, and physical activities – ideally outside – is an important part of family life. Activities should fulfil some of the needs that games do, such as a sense of achievement, competition, and being in control. It is important for young people to engage in a wide variety of activities and find ways other than gaming to manage their mood, including coping with stress, emotions, and interpersonal issues.

Sleep is hugely important for children and adolescents and research has shown that devices interfere with sleep. Internet connected devices should not be used in bedrooms or available when children are trying to sleep. If needed, buy a standalone alarm clock, disconnect Wi-Fi, and use parental locks on devices.

What types of games are appropriate?

The Classification Board in Australia classifies games that are sold or hired. Classifications describe the minimum maturity level of content and factor in themes including violence, sex, language, drug use and nudity. Gambling content does not impact a game’s classification and games with gambling content are often rated PG (8+) or G (for a general audience).

There are many games available online and offline. Some have an educational base, others can be very violent, graphic, and depict themes that are inappropriate for children. Many games have social features, which enable players to communicate with each other, but also enable predators to contact children. For example, one Australian study found that 17% of multiplayer games had experienced in-game bullying. Most games have in-game monetisation features which allow players to purchase items of known or unknown value (e.g., a loot box is a mystery item which players pay for without know what is inside). Parents should consider all these features and discuss with children what is appropriate or not.

Some games have common structural and aesthetic features with gambling, creating a convergence which has risks in terms of normalising gambling, creating positive attitudes towards gambling, and even acting as a gateway to online gambling. For some games this may be through the content with games mimicking gambling (e.g., poker, slot machines, casino games, bingo) as the core game, or an in-game feature or component. Other games contain mechanics which require players to purchase a mystery item (e.g., loot box) which may contain an item of low or high value. Some countries (e.g., Belgium) have classified these as a form of gambling in games which provide a marketplace for players to trade or sell and purchase items. As with all online game content, it is important for parents to be mindful of what lessons children are learning and whether these are accurate depictions of the real world. If young people do choose to (and are permitted) to play gambling-themed games, parents can use these as an opportunity to discuss gambling issues such as the how the odds of winning in real gambling are lower than in games, how it feels to win and lose, what a ‘near miss is’ and how it makes you feel, and how some people develop gambling problems. For youth curious about gambling, games may be a safe way to explore this content, provided that this is done with supervision and guidance. Running out of virtual currency may be a useful lesson that ‘the house always wins’.

Many video games can be violent, bigoted, racist, sexist, and highly inappropriate for young people. Such games often portray violence as insignificant with no consequences to the victim or perpetrator, which as we know in real life is not the case. This can send a message to players that violence is harmless, funny, or even an acceptable way to get what you want. Research has demonstrated that violent video games do not create violent behaviour in players. Nonetheless, many games contain content that may be harmful for children who are still developing their perception of the adult world. For example, females are often displayed as victims or displayed in hypersexual ways which can be damaging to perception of gender-related attitudes.

Treatment

Gaming disorder and problematic gaming is a new classification, so there are no established treatments. In Australia, gaming disorder may not be considered a mental health disorder, making it potentially difficult to qualify for Medicare rebates. Nonetheless, there are resources to seek help for individuals experiencing problems and concerned significant others.

• General Practitioners: Talk to your doctor if you are having concerns about your or a family members gaming. Be sure to mention any issues relating to sleep, mood, lethargy, and loss of interest in other activities. Your GP can provide a referral to specialised care, including speaking with a mental health professional.
• Family therapy: If gaming is negatively affecting the whole family, seeking help as a family unit may assist in resolving any underlying issues that are exacerbating or contributing to excessive gaming.
• Child and adolescent therapy: Mental health professionals are available to provide therapy sessions specifically for children and adolescents. There are often bulk-billed (free) options available through community mental health centres and university clinics. Contact your local government to receive information about local services that provide support and counselling to young people.
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Although there are no proven treatments for problematic gaming, CBT has the most support. This form of treatment involves identifying the underlying thinking processes behind a gaming behaviour and developing more helpful beliefs. CBT is also helpful in identifying and treating related mental health issues, which often coincide with problematic gaming.