Last year, the World Health Organization updated its guidelines to include “gaming disorder” as a mental health condition. A growing body of research shows how video games play a complex role in brain health, providing both positive and negative brain effects. While potentially leading to improvements in areas of attention, cognitive control, visuospatial skills and more, the downside of video games may be their effects on reward-processing areas of the brain — effects which can lead to impulse control issues and addiction.
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In the U.K., the NHS is opening the first specialist clinic to treat children and young adults between the ages of 13 and 25, who are addicted to gaming. As part of the National Centre for Behavioral Addictions in London, patients who are referred will be able to participate in person or through Skype consultations.
Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS, said, “This new service is a response to an emerging problem, part of the increasing pressures that children and young people are exposed to these days.” He added, “Gambling and internet firms have a responsibility to their users as well as their shareholders and should do their utmost to prevent rather than cash in on obsessive or harmful behavior.”
If your children play video games regularly, there are some factors to consider — from how it affects their time spent sitting, to exposure to blue light from the screen. Another potential downside is exposure to violent content, which is a prevalent theme in many adult video games. Negative consequences that have been linked to children playing video games include eating problems, sleep and vision problems, loss of time and lack of school investment. Research has even shown that among boys aged 15 to 19 years old, the longer the time spent in front of screens, including playing video games, the lower their bone mineral density measured.
Overall, video games can be a safe and entertaining hobby with the potential to offer some benefits to your child’s brain, but those benefits must be weighed against the risks of playing, such as addiction and exposure to violence.