Australia

Online games are a form of video game that is played over some sort of computer network. Many online games are played directly from your personal computer or smart phone, whereas others, such as the Wii, PlayStation or Xbox, require a video game console. Games can be single player, or more commonly nowadays, you can compete against other people, in real time, over the internet. Club Penguin is an immensely popular online game for young children. Second Life is popular amongst older users. And there are thousands of games of different variety available on your iphones and ipads. Like most things in life, the activity of online gaming is only problematic when your play starts to have a negative impact on other aspects of your life. Gaming Addiction happens when your gaming behaviour becomes compulsive, and you are unable to stop playing despite the negative effect it is having on your life. While it is not at all unhealthy for children or adults to play video games from time to time, online gaming can be extremely addictive. Family management patterns may encourage this addictive behaviour. Imagine, for example, a young person who comes home from school every afternoon and engages in game play, pausing only for a brief period during dinner time. Dinner in the family home is usually had while watching television and the adults engage their children in little conversation because they have their own problems to worry about or are exhausted from a long day at work. While the adults may try to persuade their child to do their homework, or engage in a physical activity in the park after dinner, ultimately they are happy that their child is preoccupied with their video game, because this allows them to enjoy relative peace and quiet before going to bed and getting ready to face another hard day at work. In this way, parents may actually reinforce the addictive behaviour of gaming. Parents may wish to consider putting rules in place to curb gaming activity so that it doesn’t overwhelm a child’s other interests.