THE ESSENTIAL
- The teenager began to isolate himself more and more, going so far as to refuse to interact socially and lose all interest in his environment.
- The medical team implemented a multidisciplinary approach that included cognitive behavioral therapy and working with him and his family to help him realize the effect of gambling on his life.
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Video game addiction is not fiction. A young Spaniard aged just 15 has been admitted to hospital for an expected two-month period due to an addiction to online gambling Fortnite. According to an article in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the teenager must have been “detoxified” because of a “severe behavioral addiction”Related to video games.
Video games, not a problem in itself
In recent weeks, the young man’s behavior had changed. He had started to isolate himself more and more, going so far as to refuse to interact socially and lose all interest in his environment. To help him, the medical team implemented a multidisciplinary approach that included cognitive behavioral therapy and working with him and his family to help the boy realize the effect of play on his life. “The results showed a significant decrease in the playing time of the games, as well as an improvement in the patient’s personal and social functioning.”, Welcomed the doctors.
The authors of the scientific paper did not blame video games as a problem, pointing out that proper use can even be socially and educationally beneficial. “Video games could be therapeutic for certain disorders”, They added. However, they insisted on the need to control their use and, by extension, that of screens by children. They advocate setting clear and well-defined boundaries and encouraging children to seek out other forms of entertainment. “Creating spaces for families to enjoy group activities and restricting devices in children’s rooms could help prevent behavior problems resulting from gambling addiction”, Suggested the researchers.
Fortnite, a game with great addictive potential
In their article, the authors looked in particular at Fortnite. They pointed out its addictive potential and specified that it could come from several factors. “These include imposing deadlines to complete the challenges of each season, a desire not to lose progress, and access to the live stream that allows others to comment on playing techniques and strategies.”, They wrote.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes gambling addiction as “impaired control over gambling, increasing priority given to gambling over other activities, and continued gambling despite the appearance of negative consequences. ” To make a diagnosis, a 12-month model is needed severe enough to cause significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, professional, or other important areas of functioning.
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