Dependence on computer games. Computer games: a form of leisure or a dangerous phenomenon? How to get rid of the problem yourself

AT modern world new technologies and achievements, a person constantly deals with various information systems. The computer has become an integral part of life for each of us, some use it for information purposes, others for communication and hobbies. Of course, a personal computer acts as an assistant, performing cognitive and communicative functions. But when the time spent near the computer exceeds allowable norms, a person becomes socially isolated and is only interested in the virtual world, it makes sense to talk about computer addiction.

Among all types of computer addiction, the most common addiction to games. According to statistics, approximately 5% of people worldwide suffer from gambling and need psychological help.

Psychology of gambling addiction

The gameplay itself is a natural activity, the game is present in human life from birth. Everyone plays: football players on the field, a child in kindergarten, actors on the stage. But with the advent of computers, a lot has changed, a cyber game is fundamentally different from a regular game, as a person is immersed in a different world that does not look like reality.

Computer gambling is an escape from reality into cyberspace, a change in mental state, obsessions and thoughts. A person obsessed with computer games begins to confuse the virtual world with reality; in severe cases, cyberspace becomes the main environment for existence.

gambling addiction

In terms of its symptoms, gambling is similar to alcoholism and drug addiction. Symptoms of gambling addiction:

– pastime at the computer for more than 5-7 hours a day;
- outbursts of aggression on the comments of others about gambling;
- inability to distract from a computer game;
- eating at the computer;
- isolation from social contacts and society as a whole;
- agoraphobia;
- depersonalization;
- neglect of personal hygiene;
- the use of psychostimulants;
- communication on topics exclusively gaming topics;
- identification with the main character, complete dissolution in the game;
- a state of euphoria during the gaming process;
– investing money in the game process or equipment for games.

Physiological symptoms of gambling:

dry eyes; pale skin, anemia;
back pain, curvature of the spine; headache; insomnia;
exhaustion, starvation (in severe cases - dehydration);
acceleration of metabolism;
increased heart rate and pulse.
Exists a large number of diverse computer games, which are interesting in their own way to gamers, but the most dangerous for the psyche are network games. At first, a person simply identifies himself with the hero, then there is a complete dissolution in the virtual world and a departure from reality. People live in cyberspace: they fall in love, make friends, quarrel, and the emotional coloring of relationships online is much brighter than in real life.

In the psychology of gambling addiction, there are several important aspects:

- loss of sense of time;
- a constant sense of novelty;
- a distorted perception of one's self;
- change of consciousness; antisocial character;
– feeling of virtual power;
- change in the volitional aspect.

The addicted gambler is so engrossed in the game process that he loses his understanding of the passage of time and the concepts of “here and now”. Consciousness gradually ceases to distinguish the real from the virtual. There are cases when people addicted to computer games played for several days in a row, without sleep and rest.

Addiction to computer games

Gamers (translated from English as “game”) can play the same game for several decades, as they are constantly updated (graphics change, new ones are invented interesting stories). There is a so-called feeling of novelty, when the game not only does not get bored, but every time is perceived as something unusual and interesting.

Computer game addiction erases personal boundaries, a person ceases to live his own life, the virtual existence of the hero becomes dominant. Some gamers even changed their name in the passport to a game nickname, changed their appearance in order to most resemble their character.

In gambling addiction, a distortion of consciousness occurs, the real world is perceived with difficulty, in contrast to virtual reality. The cognitive sphere of the gamer suffers to a greater extent: attention is scattered, thinking is slowed down, memory is distorted.

A person with a computer game addiction becomes " social disabled”, thinking becomes autistic. Gamers stop going to work, visiting crowded places, communicating with relatives and friends. Computer gaming addiction is often accompanied by a fear of large crowds and open spaces.

In the game, it seems to a person that he can achieve everything, his self-esteem is high and his intellectual abilities are at their peak. In reality, everything looks different, the person becomes powerless: elementary hygiene procedures become difficult to perform.

Ordinary human activity is carried out with the help of volitional efforts, the motivational sphere and the main goals set. In virtual reality, on the contrary, actions take place without volitional motivation, by inertia. The player seems to be under hypnosis, his mind is programmed to complete the game. Often such people during the game process have a glassy look “to nowhere”, they do not hear the speech addressed to themselves, they do not notice anything around them.

Computer game addiction consists of 4 main stages:

1. light interest;
2. passion;
3. addiction;
4. affection and complete dissolution in the gameplay.

Most often, children and adolescents are addicted to computer games due to the immaturity of mental functions and greater suggestibility. However, there is currently an increase in cases of gambling addiction in adults. A tragic case is known when a 30-year-old man, after spending more than 4 days in the game, died of cardiac arrest. Sharp outbreaks of gambling addiction in adults are most traceable during the period age crises life failures and chronic diseases.

Addiction gamers experience the following changes in the psyche:

- the level of anxiety increases;
- there are fears, panic attacks are possible;
- increased aggression and irritability;
- there are signs of deviant behavior and sociopathy;
- increased propensity for violence and murder;
- increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders.

Statistics and shocking data

Teenagers, in particular boys, are most prone to gaming addiction to computer games. According to a survey conducted among American schoolchildren, 50% of girls spend more than 5 hours a day playing computer games. Boys, on the other hand, spend more than 7 hours in the game daily, and their number is close to 80%.

gamer

The largest percentage of gamers live in Japan and China. There is a case when a schoolgirl played a network game for more than three days and died of dehydration. One Russian man spent almost a million rubles on a network game and sued the manufacturer for "virtual theft of funds." One American youth became so fascinated with the virtual world that on right hand, in which he held the mouse, clamping the carpal tunnel, a large intractable tumor formed.

Often computer games are a catalyst for the development of innate psychopathology. One of the horrific incidents that shook the whole of Europe happened quite recently: a schoolboy addicted to computer games shot his classmates and teacher. The boy's mental health was normal before the game, and after several months of gambling, he showed symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. There are cases when avid players of the aggressive genre became maniac killers. A resident of Louisiana during the week killed several people, as they seemed to him monsters from his favorite computer game. An eight-year-old boy living in the United States killed his nanny by playing a fairly well-known crime game.

Gaming addiction to computer games can leave a heavy imprint on the human psyche. The personality becomes antisocial, aggressive, uncontrollable, and eventually completely degrades.

Tevenko Alexander Vladimirovich

In the XXI century it is difficult to imagine life without a computer. Virtual reality has firmly settled in our homes, and every day captures more and more new people. We are attracted by incredible opportunities, fantastic prospects. When the passion for games and the Internet goes beyond the bounds of reason, when a person does not eat, almost does not sleep, and what is happening on the other side of the monitor becomes more important for him than what is around, we can talk about painful addiction. Doctors call it computer addiction, gambling addiction. It is especially alarming if a child becomes a prisoner of virtual reality.

Everything usually starts according to one scenario. Moms and dads, hoping to get an hour and a half of free time, give the baby a tablet or phone in their hands. The offspring is busy, the house is quiet, the adults are happy. Then a grown child masters the Internet and understands that it is much more interesting there than in ordinary life. And a few years later, parents do not know where to look for help, what to do with their child's obsessive craving for high technology.

And their fears are not unfounded: the child is not interested in studying, does not want to walk with friends in the yard, does not dream of going to the sea in the summer, does not help with the housework, and sometimes forgets to eat and sleeps badly.

Let's try to figure out together what is computer addiction in children and adolescents - a disease or just a hobby? What to do to prevent its occurrence? And what if your child is already addicted to virtuality?

Diagnosis or passion?

unanimous opinion not yet on this. International classification diseases does not contain the diagnosis of "computer addiction", although the question of including this term in the list is raised annually. But many doctors tend to consider computer addiction as a disease, along with alcoholism and drug addiction. In Germany, they conducted an experiment in which two dozen people were shown screenshots of their favorite computer games. The reaction of people turned out to be identical to that observed in alcoholics and drug addicts when they are shown a bottle of alcohol or a dose of a drug.

According to statistics, 12 out of every 7,000 people are addicted to online computer games. 19% of Facebook's 250 million users have admitted to being addicted to gambling.

Many doctors insist that computer addiction be included in the list of serious diseases.

Online games are the most addictive. In 2005, a teenage girl died of exhaustion in China. She played World of Warcraft for several days. A year later, in Bashkiria, a 17-year-old boy died from an epileptic seizure that developed on the basis of many days of playing at the computer. The sad statistics can be continued further, because such cases have recently been occurring more and more often.

It's no secret that schoolchildren who have played bloody "shooters" can arrange battles in real life. Executions and massacres are occasionally carried out by American and Japanese schoolchildren.

Passion for computer games in itself is not dangerous. But when does it become addictive? The main signs that your child is a gambler or a victim of Internet addiction:

He began to communicate less on abstract topics.. All conversations are around your favorite game.
He is not interested in studying he stopped attending sections, or does it extremely reluctantly.
All free time the child spends at the computer. Any attempt to force him to turn off the technique leads to a scandal. Attempts by parents to limit time behind the monitor cause the child to cry, rage, and hysteria.
The child became more irritable his mood often and for no reason changes - from excitement, he easily passes to a depressive blues.
He does not know how to control his time spent at the computer. He says that he will play for two hours, but he can sit much longer.
The child stopped taking care of himself- without a reminder, he can forget to wash, brush his teeth, change clothes.
He has no friends left. He hardly talks to anyone.
Your child has memory gaps. Short-term memory suffers, he may not remember what he said or promised a few hours ago.

If you find at least three matches in this list, this is a reason to take urgent action. There are now special tests on the Internet that allow, after filling out the questionnaire, to understand how high the risk of developing computer addiction is. They are largely subjective, and do not allow one hundred percent diagnosis, but they will help to get a general idea of \u200b\u200bthe problem.

If, when separated from a gadget, a child throws tantrums, this is clear sign computer addiction

The reasons

Almost all children like to sit at the computer. Why do some people get addicted and others don't? Why is it easy for some children to correct behavior, while others find it difficult? It's all about personal features your offspring - in his temperament, level of self-esteem, type of organization of the nervous system.

If a teenager is not confident in himself, he has little communication outside the home - with a high degree of probability he can become addicted to online communication. There he will find what he lacks in life.

Children with high level anxiety, fears are often "addicted" to heroic computer epics. They like to identify themselves as the all-powerful character of the game, who kills hordes of monsters with one left. In this case, the child, as it were, compensates for the lack of courage and determination in reality.

Game developers know all this very well, and every year they improve their product more and more - high-quality sound, 3D graphics, presence effect ... Everything is created so that inside the game a person feels “for real”. Children's psyche is more labile, it is easier to captivate them than adults, they quickly believe in what is happening. That is why for every adult suffering from computer addiction in our country there are now more than 20 children with the same problem.

What is really going on? The child ceases to perceive the world as it used to be. As computer addiction develops, he loses the best human qualities - empathy, love, honesty.

Most addicted to gadgets are:

Children suffering from attention deficit. They are given little time by their parents, and then they are ignored by their peers. The best prevention in this case, love and participation in the life of the child.
Children are choleric and children are melancholic. Their worldview is special even without computers. Guys with such temperaments are easier than others to "get used" to the proposed circumstances.
Children from "problem" families. We are talking about families where domestic violence is practiced - scandals, beatings, coercion to do something. And even if another member of the family is the victim of violence, the child will psychologically strive to escape from this uncomfortable reality to another. Why not virtual? The same is partly true of families where the parents have recently divorced, and the child still finds it difficult to accept the changes.
Children not taught to save time. If a kid from childhood was not taught to rationally manage his time, then by the age of 10-12 he has too many free minutes and hours. He sincerely believes that the obligation to clean the room or take out the trash can be postponed until later. It is much more interesting to spend time in virtuality. Without parental control, such children will not hit a finger on the housework, but they will sit down at the computer with great pleasure.
Children suffering from complexes. A girl who doesn't like her own appearance gets a chance to become a beautiful warrior in a computer game. A shy and timid boy manages to be a hero - a winner. The game fills the voids in the soul of the child, and gradually he ceases to be himself, but becomes the character of the game.

If you do not pay enough attention to the child, he is likely to develop a computer addiction

Effects

Computer addiction can lead to very disastrous consequences:

Social isolation, the child's lack of ability to communicate and negotiate.
Nervous and mental disorders personality - psychosis, clinical depression, hysteria, schizophrenia.
Difficulties with learning, lack of motivation.
Antisocial behavior, lack of understanding of the boundaries of what is permitted, including the law. As a result, the child may become a criminal.
Diseases: gastritis, impaired posture, hemorrhoids, chronic fatigue syndrome, exhaustion of the whole organism, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, myopia, glaucoma, "dry eye syndrome", hyperopia, display syndrome.

Help

There are several ways to help your child get rid of computer addiction. But you should take into account the degree of predilection. In some cases, parents can help their child on their own, and in some cases, the help of specialists is needed.

Talking is the first step to get rid of a computer addiction in a child.

Educational conversation

A great way at the very initial stage of addiction. It is important to understand the causes of addiction. Why is the child on the other side of the monitor better than with you? The most common mistake is to start lecturing about the dangers of a computer, making scandals and appealing to the child's conscience. This will only annoy him. Try to become a "companion".

Spend the evening with your offspring in his favorite game. Play with him, chat. Let him tell you about all the characters and their abilities. In the course of virtual adventures, gently ask the child why he likes to be this hero, and not others? Why does he need so many weapons? Who is he fighting? Contact will be established, perhaps not the first time. But when you understand for yourself what attracts your son or daughter to the game, you will be able to plan his leisure time in a slightly different way, including the missing one in it.

Scandals and swearing are your main enemies in the fight against addiction

Psychoanalysis

Today it is the most common way to deal with computer addiction in both children and adults. An experienced psychoanalyst will help to reveal the true underlying reasons for leaving for another, virtual world. Sometimes, after just one session, the specialist will accurately determine what family problems, personal complexes, moral traumas are pushing the child into a different space and dimension. Parents are encouraged to participate in therapy.

If you take the whole family with a sincere desire to change something in your life, then the result will be positive. The main condition is that parents must be ready to make changes in their own way of life, in their habits and character. The services of a psychoanalyst are not too cheap. But this method is effective when the addiction has long passed the initial stage.

Hypnosis

Psychotherapists began to treat computer addiction with the help of hypnosis about ten years ago. Sufficient experience has been gained. The hypnologist introduces the child into a trance (with the consent of the parents) and gently gives him a psycho-setting for indifference to computer games and communication on the Internet. This is how alcoholics are coded.

However Do not think that hypnosis is a panacea. Firstly, not all people can be hypnotized, and secondly, the symptoms of addiction may disappear, but their hidden causes will remain. And then the child, from whose life computer games have left, will begin to fill the voids with something else. Not the fact that something good and useful. Computer addiction can be replaced by other pathological conditions - from theft to drugs.

Hypnosis is not effective in all cases

Medicines

Often, to get rid of computer addiction (especially at the "running" stages), they use drug treatment. Prescription drugs are prescribed by a doctor. Usually, this happens when a child has personality disorders, depression, anxiety. The specialist prescribes antidepressants, sedatives.

It must be said right away that it is impossible to get rid of computer addiction with pills and injections alone, since they again treat the consequences, and not the cause. Whatever one may say, one cannot do without psychological help and rehabilitation. And the use of psychotropic drugs has never brought much benefit to the child's body.

If you find a computer addiction in your child, do not panic. You can frighten him with your reaction and drive him even deeper into a detached state. Analyze the situation and make a plan to get out of it.
Don't shout, don't blame your child. It's not his fault. After all, didn't we ourselves give him a gadget one day to keep him occupied for a while? Take responsibility and be patient. Computer addiction does not recede quickly.
Find a good time to talk with your son or daughter. Look for the reason for his voluntary departure into virtuality.
Offer your child interesting ways to spend their leisure time. Remember, they must be consonant with the cause of the addiction. If a timid child is carried away by games, in order to feel omnipotent, give him to the boxing section, karate, organize a parachute jump. If a teenager lacks sharp impressions in everyday life, offer to go and play paintball together on the weekend or take part in an interactive quest in reality. Now they are common. There, the child will be able to feel like the same hero, but for real. If your son or daughter has communication problems, enroll your child in a theater studio, dance courses, anywhere where the principle “we are a team” applies.

Give your child vivid impressions and unforgettable moments!

Set goals for your addicted child. And gradually teach him to set goals on his own and go towards them.
You should not forbid him to sit down at the computer or take away the gadget from him, trying to wean him off the tablet by force. This will cause aggression and resentment. And these feelings do not contribute to establishing contact.
Assign your child a range of responsibilities.. Lessons, cleaning, walking the dog, taking out the garbage. Don't be afraid to overload it. No one has died from household chores yet. Reward for what you have done, but not with extra time at the computer. Set up your own reward system. What could it be? A little money that the child can save up for the sneakers of his dreams or whatever else he wants.
Computer addiction is rapidly getting younger. If 10 years ago 14-16-year-old teenagers suffered from it, now you can meet mothers who complain that they cannot kick their 4-5 because of the monitor summer baby. If the child is not yet 10 years old, try to strictly dose the time spent in the game. Preferably no more than half an hour a day. And it is best to find an alternative occupation, the computer is not best toy for small children.
Be ready to change yourself. Together with your child, you will skydive, learn to roller skate, go fishing or dancing. Remember that he cannot cope with addiction alone.
Don't relax. As in the treatment of alcoholism or drug addiction, the patient may experience relapses, breakdowns. Just about, it would seem, the child managed to be distracted from the “tanks” and “wars”, but you quarreled, and he moves away again, trying to hide in the game.

The enemy must be known by sight

Parents whose children are overly addicted to the Internet and games need to know which games are the most addictive and mentally crippling.

In this list, according to experts, The Sims, horror five nights at Freddy's, Second Life, Prototype, Left 4 Dead 2, Fallout 3, Splatterhouse and World of Warcraft. Recently, children and adolescents are heading into World of Tanks».

"Tanks" is not as bloody as "Splatterhouse", where severed limbs, skin torn from enemies is the norm, not fanaticism, but they have their own nuances. Playing "Tanks" requires financial investments - after all, the technique needs to be improved ("pumped"). Where will the child get the money? That's right, the parents. And if they don’t, then they can steal from strangers, since the desire to have the coolest tank at that moment is stronger than common sense. I have seen grown men most they “invest” their income in tanks without thinking about the fact that they have families, children, obligations. What about teenagers? Take your time, ask what your child is playing, try to play it yourself, get to know the enemy as much as possible.

If a child has an Internet addiction, you need to be on the alert every day. Fraudsters, pedophiles, perverts of all stripes lately lie in wait for children not in the alley at home, but on the Internet. See which social media groups your child belongs to. Did he fall into the so-called group of death? These are communities where teenagers are trained to commit suicide. Are there any adults you don't know among his contacts?

It would be unfair to write down all computer games without exception as malicious. Of course, there are educational games that develop logic, thinking, memory.

So, my eldest son once studied english alphabet. He was helped in this by Winnie the Pooh from the game marked 3+. When I noticed that my son in the 3rd grade, instead of lessons, was concentrating on destroying another batch of bloodied zombies in Left 4 Dead with a shotgun, and to the question, where are we going on the day off, he answered: “Can I stay at home?”, The question was posed point-blank - either now or never. By that time, by the way, my son weighed under 70 kilos, suffered from obesity of the first stage, and did not want to go to any sections in principle. As soon as he turned away, he grabbed his plate of dinner and went to eat at the computer. As a gift for the holidays new game or another disc with the continuation of the game ...

So I took him to the cadet school, where he put on military uniform, learned to run and pull up, skydive and dismantle a Kalashnikov assault rifle. At first, he was capricious, of course, incredibly, he suffered and complained. When in the fifth grade he announced that he would be in the military, we were almost not surprised. Now he is 17. He is graduating with honors from the Stavropol Presidential Cadet School. Studying three foreign languages. This summer he intends to enter the higher military school. His dream is to become a scout.

He calls peers who spend their free time playing computer games not a very printed word and wonders how he himself could sit at the computer for so long. Now I am grateful to fate that I was able to discern the symptoms of the onset of addiction in time, and quickly block it. Now I'm looking at the middle son. So far, there is no talk of dependence, but I am always ready.

By recognizing the dependence on virtual games in a child in time, you can save his future

Other extremes

One day, an old acquaintance called me and burst into a long and detailed text on the topic “How to live on?”. Like, "this blockhead" will not achieve anything in life, because apart from the "computer" he does not need anything. He spends all his free time there and does not want to hear anything. It was about her 13-year-old son. My imagination immediately drew the darkest images, and I promised to stop by one of these days and talk to a teenager.

Misha greeted me with a dull semblance of a smile. It was evident how exhausted he was by constant reproaches and even tantrums from his mother. I went to the table and, to my surprise, found books on programming and graphic design. A few questions were enough to understand that the child does not play at the computer. He works for him. With great difficulty, I managed to convince him to at least slightly reduce the time spent at the monitor, and my friend to leave the teenager alone. Now Misha is studying at the university, he will soon become a programmer. He is already a recipient of a presidential scholarship and a regular attendee of all kinds of IT events and rallies of an all-Russian scale.

Conclusion - do not rush to label the child as "gamer", "addict", "sick" ... Understand what your child wants and dreams about. Whether he is addicted or not, you will understand pretty quickly, and spoiled relationships and broken contact with a teenager will still cause a lot of trouble. The main thing is to love the child, accept him with all his oddities and hobbies. But at the same time, do not go blind from love and see the symptoms of impending disaster in time. If computers have already begun to "absorb" the personality of your son or daughter, do not hesitate to ask for help from specialists.

Communicate with the parents of other children who have fallen into tenacious virtual paws, share your experience. It is possible and necessary to overcome this dependence. But to do this is really only all together, joining forces.
Pimples in boys
Computer addiction

Computer games are an exciting process. We may not notice how we spent several hours behind him. It's pretty easy to get lost in fictional worlds and plot twists that will keep you on the screen for "another 10 minutes."

Psychologist John M. Grohol is sure Coping with Video Game Addiction, which in such a case can help track time. Write down what time you start playing and what time you finish. At the end of the week, calculate how many hours you spent playing games. Most likely, this figure will make you change your mind.

2. Set a limit

Set a timer to help you with this. Even if you continue to play after his signal, you will still know how much time you spent. And knowledge is the key to your salvation. Perhaps this will help to develop a rule, for example, play only with friends or only on certain days.

Do not limit yourself too much, this will aggravate the situation.

In addition to the time limit, set . Determine how many games per month you can afford.

3. Choose your games wisely

Some games take a very long time to complete. Discard them in favor of those that can be completed in a shorter time.

4. Don't be afraid to end the game if you don't like it

Many players try to choose more difficult games in order to prove to themselves and everyone what they are capable of. Pacify your gaming ego. This is just virtual reality. If the game doesn't give you pleasure, just don't play it.

Do not take online games as a real competition. No one will judge you if you just quit the game. It's your life, and it's up to you to decide how you spend your time.

5. Earn time to play

If because of games you abandon household chores, work and personal life, then you have serious problems. Try to earn the game. Do not sit down at the computer until you complete the current tasks. Remember that the goal is not to completely eliminate video games. It is important for you to realize that they are only part of yours.

Many people find it strange and useless to stream video games live on YouTube or Twitch. And in vain. Instead of wasting your time, you can watch how someone else does it. It doesn't have to be in front of a screen. You can do useful things, like cleaning.

7. Have a gaming hunger strike

Not everyone will be able to abruptly give up video games for a while. But sometimes it works. If you feel that it's time for you to return to reality, try deleting all games from your computer or collecting all the discs and taking them to a friend for safekeeping. For example, for two weeks or a month.

You will have more time for important things and meetings with dear people.

You will understand that real life much more interesting and games will not replace it for you.

8. Find the reason for your escape from reality

Computer games are a good way to relax. However, gambling addiction is a form of escapism. Consider if you are hiding from something in the virtual world.

If you have problems in your personal life, discuss them with your partner. If you are under pressure from work, seek help and try to find a solution to the problem. This is more effective than hiding behind a monitor.

In the game, we are all strong and hardy, but in reality - not always. But after all, you will not acquire these qualities if you persist in the trials that life has prepared for you.

With the development of computer technology, great amount new problems. One of them is computer addiction in teenagers. This is what I want to talk about in this article.

What it is?

It would seem that a child plays computer games for himself, so what? Peace and quiet at home. However, modern psychologists say that today more and more children of younger, middle and older school age become addicted to the computer. What does this mean? In principle, the characteristics of all dependencies are similar to each other. If a drug addict is looking for a dose for days, then the child can look forward to the hour when his parents will allow him to sit at the computer. At this time, the child most often does not find a place for himself, cannot do anything else, toils around the house or apartment. It is worth saying that this problem needs to be treated, otherwise there may be negative consequences.

About the term

It should be said that the term "computer addiction" is quite young, it appeared around 1990, when the computer industry began to actively develop. The term defines the state of a person in which he simply cannot live without this machine, spending all his free time in front of its monitor. However, since then, the addiction itself has been somewhat transformed and acquired new elements and forms, becoming a problem not of a few, but of many people of different ages.

The reasons

Information about why computer addiction can occur in adolescents may seem interesting. So, first of all, this is the usual lack of attention from parents and peers, which the child compensates with the help of such a friend. Now, at a time when various social networks are very popular, this problem has become even more relevant: there the child creates for himself new look, makes friends and lives not a real, but a virtual life. In this case, they are not talking about gambling, but about the Internet addiction of the child. What else can drive a teenager into another world? Lack of self-confidence, in one's abilities, perhaps also dissatisfaction with one's appearance (especially if there are any deviations). Often children “get hooked” on the computer so as not to differ from their peers (here most often we are talking about gambling addiction, but this trend is changing with the development of social networks). A child can occupy all his free time with a computer if he has no hobbies or hobbies, and free time needs to be attached somewhere. And, of course, the manner of communication in the family, upbringing contributes to the development of various addictions. If a child can be at the computer for no more than two hours a day (and it should be), then he simply will not be able to become Internet addicted.

Main dangers

It is important to say that computer addiction in adolescents is a dangerous business that can lead to serious consequences. First of all, being in the virtual world, a person almost never adequately controls the real time, often being late. The child can constantly skip school, skip classes. A huge problem is the level of aggression that can occur during a computer game. If something fails in a teenager, a storm of emotions arises, the psyche is gradually destabilized and loosened. The same child also transfers to the real world, communicating in this way with his immediate environment: parents and friends. The fact that in a computer game, sooner or later, a teenager always succeeds in everything, if not the first time, then the n-th for sure, can also affect the future. The child may decide that in real life everything turns out so simply. And this is fraught with consequences and strong disappointment in adult real life. Also, computer addiction in adolescents affects the state of the body. So, vision is definitely impaired, there may be vitamin deficiency and other problems associated with malnutrition (a teenager with a computer addiction most often does not eat normally, living only with snacks). Usually the dependent child does not look after his own appearance does not follow the rules of personal hygiene.

Types of dependencies

It should be said that dependence on computer games is different. So, today, when a child cannot live without the virtual world, and gambling. In turn, addiction to computer games is divided into types of games. So, these are role-playing gamers, when a person looks at the game through the eyes of his hero (the games when the child looks at the hero from the outside are no less dangerous); strategy games, which are less dangerous, however, again, are ready to draw the child into their world; non-role games such as various puzzles, arcade games, flash toys. Gambling is especially dangerous in the virtual world, because it often draws a lot of money from players.

Potential Category

Who can get a problem with computer addiction? So, first of all, those children whose parents are often not at home, and the child is simply left to himself. The same applies to those who are also often at home alone or with attendants, whose advice they simply do not listen to. There are more dependent adolescents among boys (according to statistics, there is only one dependent girl for every 10 boys), as far as age is concerned, the most dangerous is 12-15 years old.

What will addiction entail?

Dependence on computer games can lead to many negative consequences. So, first of all, the child's social circle will gradually decrease, which will lead to the complete isolation of the teenager in real life with all the ensuing consequences. Irreversible health changes may also occur. So, this is a visual impairment, metabolism, obesity of various degrees is possible. Over time, the psyche will definitely be disturbed and destabilized. It is also important to say that all the problems of a gamer run the risk of passing into adulthood. And this is fraught with huge negative consequences. Also, the child may begin to steal, because often the Internet or games require a certain fee. And this is already punishable by the letter of the law.

How does addiction occur?

After observing the addicts, psychologists made interesting and at the same time terrible conclusions. Chemical and computer addiction: their symptoms are almost the same. For such people, for example, when they see the desired goal, they sharply also begin to study poorly, do not take care of themselves and their appearance, gain (various degrees of obesity due to malnutrition) or lose weight (they simply forget or are too lazy to eat on time), they cannot do anything else if they have free time. To avoid such a development of events, you need nothing at all: do not let the baby go to the TV until the age of three, and to the computer even longer, up to about 10 years. It is at this age that a predisposition to various kinds of addictions arises. However, in our time to do this, unfortunately, is almost impossible.

Mechanism of addictive behavior

Addictive, i.e., dependent behavior is formed in a child by moving away from real life to a virtual one, both with and without the use of various chemical agents. The process itself is based on the fact that the child moves away from real roles, replacing them with virtual ones, those that are more convenient for him or even close in spirit. The game or the Internet, in its essence, compensate the child for what he lacks in real life. So, if a person is physically weak and cannot rebuff his peers, he will have a computer problem. Adolescents, who in real life, will have a place to try on different roles and masks (there may be a problem of self-identification of a person, which is fraught with consequences), make friends with people, who, at first glance, will always understand. However, over time, disappointment may come, because often these friends are imaginary and you will not get much support from them in difficult times.

How to avoid addiction?

To prevent teenagers from becoming dependent on computer games, on the Internet, you need to follow fairly simple but effective rules. So, it is necessary to precisely regulate the time spent by the child in front of the monitor, while parents are not forbidden to control what the offspring is doing on the Internet. The personal example of adults has a huge influence: if dad spends all his free time in front of the monitor, it is not at all surprising that the child will do the same. You also need to competently plan your family's free time: spend more time together in nature. What other methods are accepted for the prevention of computer addiction in adolescents? It is good to load your child as much as possible: send them to circles, to tutors, devote more time to study. Then there will simply be no time left for games and various addictions. As a radical way, you can limit the work on the child's computer with the help of various programs that are aimed at this.

Nuances

Having identified signs of computer addiction in teenagers, parents should immediately take action. So, it’s good to go to a psychologist and draw up a plan of action with him. After all, often parents do the wrong thing, wanting only the best for their child. For example, it is not recommended to drastically ban computer games, this will not lead to anything good. It is better to do everything consistently, slowly reducing the time spent in front of the monitor. It is also necessary to control what games your child liked. After all, not all of them are bad, there are also useful ones that develop intelligence and even have an educational component. And far from all the time spent in front of a computer monitor can be called addiction, because a child can simply learn with the help of the Internet.

Treatment

An important point is the treatment of computer addiction in adolescents. It should be said that it will be accompanied by "breakdowns", which, by the way, can be quite painful not only for the child, but also for adults. Parents will have to withstand several attacks from the side of the child: they can be not only verbal, but also come to assault. The child can also begin to persuade parents to let them play for at least half an hour, while promising anything. You should not go on about, because drug addicts do the same, never keeping their word. The position of parents should be clear and unshakable. At this time, parents will also have a hard time, because they will need to become an entertaining element for their child so that the child forgets about his hobby at least for a while. More communication and joint activities - this is one of the elements of addiction treatment. You also need to change the daily routine, getting used to which will not be so fast. Parents often give up if they don't see improvement. However, you should not give up this business, because sooner or later the improvement will come, you just need to wait for it. Well, if nothing works out on your own, it is better to treat computer addiction in adolescents with the help of specialists.

close people

Whatever the reasons for computer addiction in a child, the immediate environment should help to cope with it. Yes, the most leading role played, of course, by the parents, who must throw all their strength into pulling the child into the real world. However, friends, classmates and comrades of the child must also be involved in this matter, so that at this time he understands that he is not alone, that, in addition to virtual, he also has a real, no less interesting life. And for everything to work out, you need to organize interesting meetings, outings, trips and holidays. But the most important rule for dealing with addiction is to recognize it. The close environment of the child should show the teenager that he is sick, that he has problems, the child must understand this, and only then the treatment will be adequate, and the results visible.

A few decades ago, a computer for people was a breakthrough in technology. To meet him in the apartment was a rarity. Today, everyone has it. It is used for work, search necessary information, recreation.

There is not a single person on the planet who has not played or at least not heard of computer games. The first simulators were invented back in the 50s. Often such programs are based on the plots of books and films.

The production of computer games has become global. A couple of hours a week of such a pastime, of course, will not harm anyone. However, excessive enthusiasm provokes the formation of cravings.

The game is present in everyone's life: football, entertainment in kindergarten, checkers and others. But computer simulations are different: they make you immerse yourself in a fictional world that is far from reality.

Game dependence on computer games is a departure from reality into cyberspace. The psychological state of the addict changes. The patient confuses reality with an imaginary world. AT advanced cases imagination becomes the only habitat.

There are many types of computer games.

most dangerous for psychological state are network.

The addict plunges into the life of a fictional character: falls in love, makes friends, quarrels. In cyberspace, emotions are brighter, richer.

The psychology of gambling addiction is characterized by:

disorientation in time;
an endless sense of something new;
distorted understanding of one's "I";
impaired consciousness;
antisocial characteristics;
a sense of virtual power;
violation of the volitional aspect.

Schoolchildren and students are more susceptible to addiction. This is due to immaturity mental development suggestibility due to young age.

The disease is also observed in adults. A person leaves the real world for cyberspace during crises, difficulties, in the presence of serious illnesses.

When depending on the simulators, changes are observed:

increased feelings of anxiety;
severe fear, panic attacks;
excessive aggressiveness, irritability;
deviant behavioral model, sociopathy;
the emergence of a tendency to violence;
increased risk of mental disorders.

According to statistics, teenage boys are more prone to gambling addiction. 80% of them spend more than seven hours a day in virtual reality. 50% of girls play for a maximum of five hours a day.

Computer gambling causes serious harm to the human psyche. Dependent people "drop out" of society, become aggressive, irritated. They are almost impossible to control.

The concept of gaming computer addiction

Gaming computer addiction is defined as a disorder of the brain, motivation, memory and systems interconnected with them. These problems cause certain psychological, physiological, social and spiritual manifestations.

The addict loses the ability to abstinence, control over behavior. He has a strong craving, an abnormal emotional reaction. He does not realize and does not see his problem. The disease is characterized by remissions and relapses. If you do not take action, then the pathology will lead to disability and death.

Computer gaming addiction is a kind of human-machine relationship. This is an excessive emotional addiction not to technology, but to what it gives. The patient wants to fill all the time with games, but this is impossible for objective reasons.

The school and parents interfere with the child. Adult - family, work. If these factors do not exist, then the addict will completely immerse himself in a fictional world. It's extremely hard to get him out of there.

The final stage in the development of addiction will be full immersion into cyberspace. Sounds daunting, but it must be accepted as inevitable. However, this can be avoided if treatment is started.

Formation pathogenesis

A common cause of the formation of pathological attraction is personality traits, character traits. Touchy people who are prone to chronic depression and have low self-esteem tend to move away from the "cruel" reality.

In reality, they cannot establish interpersonal relationships, they become a kind of "outcast". In cyberspace, no one "gets" them, does not torment them with questions. There they can be whatever they want. Thus, an addiction is formed, which is difficult to cope with without professional help.

Pathology can develop due to a lack of perception of yourself as you are, from loneliness and misunderstanding of loved ones. The patient is constantly in a tense state, emotional exhaustion.

Dependence is a consequence of upbringing in childhood and is due to overprotection or high demands of parents.

In the first case, the child grows up dependent. He was used to having relatives decide everything for him, and adult life unable to do anything on his own. Everything is simpler in the game: it is simple in actions and everything is decided in advance in it.

In the second situation, the child develops a very low self-esteem. In a computer, you can constantly be a leader, assert yourself through virtual reality.

Often people are not interested in them real life, so they dive into cyberspace. They just do not understand that you can find a hobby, a hobby. Go in for sports, start traveling, and not run away from reality in games.

Stages and consequences

The development of pathological traction occurs in stages:

Light interest: the patient undergoes adaptation.
Enthusiasm: A strong attraction is manifested. Each session is longer, the stakes increase. At this stage, a person can still resist his attraction.
Addiction: Simulation cravings are at their highest. Man constantly struggles with the desire to play. Giving up a "hobby" becomes almost impossible. Time spent at the computer increases dramatically.
Attachment: the previous stage lasts for a long time. After that, the thrust subsides and gains momentum with greater strength. The game becomes the meaning of life for the patient, money is only a symbol. A person is not able to overcome his addiction on his own. The addict is distracted from the computer only under duress.

Consequences of gambling mania:

regular conflicts with relatives, the collapse of the cell of society;
loss of friends;
lowering social status;
large financial debts;
degradation.

To avoid all these problems, the pathological condition must be identified and treated in a timely manner.

Signs and symptoms

It is not difficult to determine pathological cravings. Signs of computer gaming addiction:

Before the game, a person is in a good mood, in ecstasy before the start of the action. He seeks to quickly finish all things in order to immerse himself in the virtual world.
During the game, the addict is overexcited, emotional condition elevated. All feelings are heightened.
If for some reason you need to break away from the computer, the person gets annoyed, worried.
It becomes impossible to reduce the time spent behind the equipment.
Craving initially manifests itself in episodes, then becomes systematic.
The patient constantly promises to stop playing and start spending time with loved ones. His words lead nowhere.
The game is a way of avoiding difficulties, loneliness, bad mood etc.

All of these signs indicate the formation of dependence. It must be dealt with in order to avoid adverse consequences.

You need to carefully monitor the time spent at the computer. It is advisable to write down on paper what time the game started and when it ended. At the end of the week, calculate the number of hours spent on a dubious activity. The figure will make you think seriously.
You need to set a limited time in the game. For convenience, you can set a timer. If even after his signal, the action on the computer does not stop, at least the exact time spent on the "hobby" will be known. If the addiction is not quite in its advanced form, you can choose certain days or hours dedicated to virtual reality. It is recommended to set a monetary limit that will be spent monthly in the game.
It is advisable to choose simulators, the passage of which does not take much time. Some games are hard to pass, and they drag you into the virtual world even more.
You can not perceive the simulator as a kind of competition. This is just a game and you should not be afraid to stop it before reaching the final. This is a virtual world, no one will blame you for not finishing the job.
You have to earn time at the computer. You can not sit down for the games until all the things are done. You don't have to give up your passion completely. You just need to understand the versatility of the world around you.
Computer games are recommended to be replaced with broadcasts. At this time, it is not necessary to be at the monitor. You can do useful things. For example, clean the apartment or cook dinner.
If there is a realization that it is time to return to reality, it is recommended to drastically abandon computer games. This is hard to do, but necessary. You can remove all simulators from the equipment, give disks to friends for a certain time. After that, more time will be spent with loved ones and the realization will come that cyberspace cannot replace the real world.
To get rid of addiction forever, you need to determine the reason why it was formed. Eliminating it, it will turn out to be freed from pathological attraction.

If you cannot overcome the addiction on your own, you need to contact a specialist.

To determine the presence of addiction, you must agree or refute the following statements:

Being at the computer lasts for hours. You can refuse to consume food, hygiene procedures and other things to extend the session in the game.
Regularly there are delays in the game more than the planned time.
A person thinks about himself as a virtual character with a reputation in the game, and not as a real person.
Cyberspace is more important than communicating with people in real world(even sometimes).
After passing the game, pleasure is felt. I want to experience euphoria, adrenaline, satisfaction again.
It's hard to break away from the simulator, even at someone's request.
It is difficult to stop the game during important events (battles, fights, etc.).
I have to hide my passion for computer games, because it's embarrassing to admit how much time it takes.
Relatives notice a pathological addiction.
Because of the simulators, there is not enough time for study, household chores, work, etc.
If you can’t sit down at the computer, your mood worsens.
Immersion in a fictional world occurs even in the workplace, in an educational institution.
Because of the games there were absenteeism at work, study.
At the computer, it is much easier to relieve stress than using other methods.
Because of the games, relationships with friends and family worsened.
Simulations are invested cash required for other purposes.

The more positive answers, the higher the risk of developing gambling addiction.

If they are more than 50%, then you need to seek the advice of a specialist. Pathology began to develop.

Preventive actions

There is no specific prevention. To reduce the likelihood of developing cravings for computer games, following the recommendations will help:

if a person devotes a lot of time to virtual reality, he needs to be shown to a doctor;
you need to try to understand the meaning of the simulators that your loved one plays: this will help you find common ground, build trust;
you can’t criticize games in front of a person who is passionate about a computer: you need to gently express thoughts on this matter;
it is necessary to understand what exactly attracts in cyberspace, what is lacking in reality;
limit access to books, movies, games with violence: this will suppress aggressiveness.

The above will reduce the risk of addiction. However, if a person spends a lot of time at the computer, the first symptoms of pathological attraction appear, he must be persuaded to pay a visit to the doctor.