Identifying Warning Signs of a Gaming Disorder (w/ Guest Morgan Seymour of Open Sky)

<p><strong>Read The Negative Effects of Video Games (Parent Guide)</strong> on the SmartSocial.com Blog: https://smartsocial.com/negative-effects-video-games/ </p><p>Learn more about Open Sky Wilderness Therapy: https://www.openskywilderness.com/utilizing-wilderness-therapy-to-treat-gaming-disorder/ </p><h2>Gaming disorder is considered a mental health condition</h2><ul><li>In 2018, the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/gaming-disorder" target="_blank">World Health Organization</a> officially began recognizing gaming disorder as a mental health condition</li></ul><h2>What are gaming disorder warning signs?</h2><p>According to World Health Organization, there are 3 signs that someone might be struggling with gaming disorder:</p><ul><li><strong>Impaired control over gaming</strong> (e.g. onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context)</li><li><strong>Increasing priority given to gaming</strong> to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities</li><li><strong>Continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences</strong></li></ul><h2>What are some red flags parents need to look out for?</h2><p><a href="https://smartsocial.com/technology-addiction-screen-time/" target="_blank">According to Dr. Mike Bishop</a>, tech addiction expert, these red flags indicate that your child is struggling with screen time and gaming:</p><ul><li><strong>Short tempers</strong> that are aggravated by screen time. If your kids are playing video games, you can sometimes see them getting frustrated at the game. Watch out for a quick temper and see if the game has got control over their mood</li><li>Kids are <strong>not able to self-soothe</strong> when they’re playing video games. This translates into the next point, which is having problems going to sleep or waking up in the morning</li><li><strong>Having access to a device every night</strong>. If we let our kids use devices without limits set, without some rules and structure, they’re goin