Healthy Gaming Habits for Kids

 In this post, we examine the benefits and drawbacks of gaming and share some healthy gaming tips for kids, teens, and adults. excessive gaming...

 

Healthy Gaming Habits for Kids, Teens, and Adults

Children and adults alike find video games to be the most popular form of entertainment worldwide. Video games are played for a variety of reasons, including social interaction, problem-solving, world exploration, career development, and pure enjoyment.

But gaming is a pastime that spans a range, from beneficial at one end to detrimental at the other.

In this post, we examine the benefits and drawbacks of gaming and offer some sensible advice for kids, teens, and adults.

Video game statistics

Globally, there are more than 3 billion gamers, which translates to about 40% of the world's population.

The majority of individuals love gaming as one of many interests and pastimes, and most have a positive relationship with it. A small percentage of players, about 10%, run the danger of playing in a way that negatively affects their lives. According to research, between 2 and 3 percent of gamers worldwide experience video game addiction.

Let's examine the use of video games by adults and children in more detail:

 

• In the US, 91% of those under 18 play video games.
• 8.5% of children between the ages of 8 and 18 are "pathological players," meaning their video game habits are causing issues in their families, communities, or schools.
• Out of a list of more than 30 interests, gaming ranks as the top interest for males aged 8 to 15 and as the second-highest interest for girls aged 8 to 11.
• In the US, 64% of adults routinely play video games.
• While gamers are typically 34 years old, gaming addicts are typically 24 years old.
• A meal or shower was skipped by 30% of UK gamers to play video games.
• In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, 55% of gamers said they played more.
• There will be an increase in those with video game addiction as the number of gamers globally keeps growing. So it's important to form good gaming habits.

What is healthy gaming?

When people play video games as one of many hobbies in their lives, this is considered healthy (or positive) gaming. They go to work or school, spend time with their families, have both offline and online pals, and have hobbies aside from gaming.

We refer to the pattern of gaming as "hook, habit, and harm." The enjoyment, stimulation, challenges, sense of triumph, skill development, friendships, and social aspects of playing with others keep gamers hooked on video games. Modern video games are made particularly to get kids addicted and desire to play them more and more. And at that point, an injury may result. Check out our essay about the benefits and drawbacks of gaming.

When playing video games is a healthy habit, people create time for it while managing to complete other tasks like work, school, and other commitments. Playing video games in moderation has several noticeable advantages. Learn about the advantages of gaming.

What is unhealthy gaming?

Some people start to experience negative effects from their gaming habits. It starts to take precedence over other pursuits, taking away time from them. Their family, relationships, and mental and physical health may all suffer as a result. They might not be getting enough exercise, getting enough sleep, eating healthily, or going outside. Anxiety, depressed moods, impatience, and depression are some negative effects. Socially, some gamers experience increased loneliness and anxiety and struggle to make friends and engage with others in the real world.

Here are a few telltale indicators that playing video games has become a bad habit. A gamer may: Lose interest in sports, friends, or hobbies; lose interest in a job; or lose interest in education.

• Give video games top attention and limit your conversation to them.
• lack of drive to do anything besides play games
• Be irritated, sour-tempered, sad, or nervous
• Show no enthusiasm or interest in anything.
• withdraw from friends and relatives
• Develop bad eating, sleeping, and hygiene habits. One might forgo taking a shower or cleaning one's teeth or staying up all night playing video games.
• Take in a poor diet
• using too much caffeine or other stimulants while gaming
• Have bodily aches and pains like headaches or back pain Miss courses or work or quit your job
• Dispute with family members regarding gaming time or how it affects them.

A gamer may occasionally have tried to limit their gaming but have been unsuccessful. They might be concealing when or how often they game, or they might be lying about it. Some people get up early to play through the night, consume stimulants like high-caffeine energy drinks, and then endure the negative effects of being awake all day. Learn more about the drawbacks of gaming.

Healthy gaming tips

Do you worry about how much time you spend playing video games? Do your kids or teens seem to be becoming addicted to video games? Here is some advice on creating positive gaming habits for you and your family.

Healthy gaming habits for Kids

Limits and restrictions should be established by parents for their children.

• Play video games in a shared area of the home rather than in their bedroom.
• To determine whether their game is age-appropriate, ask your child to describe it. If possible, participate in their games.
• Find out who your child is playing with and make sure they finish their homework and other obligations before playing video games.
• Suggest playing physical games like dancing apps.
• Make sure your child engages in activities other than video games.
• Encourage children to play outside on the ground.
• One hour before bedtime, stop gaming.
• water to keep them hydrated
• Set time limits; on weekdays, 30 minutes, and on weekends, an hour per day.
• Make sure your youngster is aware of the safety guidelines, such as not sharing personal information online.

Healthy gaming habits for Teens

Parents and teenagers should agree on gaming parameters and guidelines.

• Prioritize completing your work and other obligations before playing games.
• Take time to stretch and move around
• Continue playing video games in a shared part of the home. Schedule time to interact with pals in person.
• Make playing sports or engaging in daily physical activity a goal, and take daily walks outside.
• One hour before bedtime, stop gaming.
• Determine how much time you will spend playing, then set an alarm and quit when it goes off. Maintain hydration by drinking water, and cut less on stimulants like coffee and soda.
• Recognize safe gaming; avoid disclosing personal information online.

Healthy gaming habits for Adults

• Use a timetable and set limits for your gaming to maintain a healthy balance.
• Keep video games out of the bedroom to prevent sleep disruption
• If you tend to "lose yourself" in the game, set an alarm to alert you when the time is over.
• Selecting games with happy experiences over negative ones is especially important when it comes to toxic play and excessive expenditure.
• Use blue light-reducing eyewear or screen settings to reduce blue light from displays, as it disrupts our sleep cycles.
• Take breaks to stretch and move, and drink plenty of water.
• Drinking caffeine and other stimulants in moderation while playing is advised.
• Review your weekly playing schedule and make any necessary adjustments.

Need help to control gaming?

Book a Gameplan call to talk about your situation if you or a loved one have attempted these healthy gaming tips but still need assistance. There are just a few places left.

Our Respawn program at Game Quitters assists gamers in detoxing from gaming and regaining control of their lives. Families can control problem gaming and reduce conflict thanks to our Reclaim program.

Additional sites include the Game Quitters community forum, which connects users with similar interests.

articles and resources for parents, professionals, and gamers

a tool for hobbies that complement or substitute for gaming

case studies of formerly addicted gamers for motivational tales

Gaming Addiction Training in clinical psychology