YOUTH WHO GAME AND USE THE INTERNET

Chas Swearingen, QMHP - Lincoln Prairie Behavioral Health Center

OBJECTIVES

• Today’s presentation will cover the following areas:
• Education on gaming terms often used by kids
• Explain the pros and cons to gaming and other internet usage
• Identify boundaries, appropriate usage and guidelines
• How all of this can affect a child’s mental health

Questions are welcome and will be answered at the end of the presentation. There are areas of participation.

GAMING

• Types of Games
• Single Player
• Can be online, but usually local
• Multiplayer
• Competitive
• Cooperative
• Examples of Games

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• Gaming Language

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GAMING PERFORMANCE 

• Self-Worth Related
• Leveling
• Quests/Accomplishments
• In-game rewards such as skins
• Ranking
• Statistics like KDR
• Gold/Gem - in-game currency
• Game completion

GAMING EXPERIENCE

• Positives
• Make friends
• Build community
• Build and/or enhance communication skills
• Strategy
• Hand-eye coordination
• Group planning

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• Cautions
• People set to ruin the experience
• Predatory behaviors
• Peer pressure/bullying
• Anxiety/Anger

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MICROTRANSACTIONS

• What are microtransactions?
• Why it might be important to youth
• Boundaries to consider
• Monitor the content
• How money is being spent
• Example:
• In-game cash (including digital gift cards)
• Exclusive content
• DLC (downloadable content)
• Expansions
• Pay to Win

GAMIFICATION

• Recent studies have investigated the influence injecting “gaming” into mental health applications can have on someone’s mental health

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• Games, both online and in-person can be constructively used in conjunction with therapy.

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• Some gaming technology, such as virtual reality (VR), has been used to treat a variety of disorders.

What is Age appropriate?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests the following:

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• Younger than 18 months – No screen time
• 18-24 months – learning programming w/adult as shared experience
• 2-5 years – 1 hour per day
• 6-12 years – consistent limits
• 13+- set aside screen-free time/locations

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ONE POSSIBLE EXPLANATION

According to the American Psychological Association’s Chief Science Officer, Mitch Prinstein, “when it comes to youths’ cravings for social attention, they are all gas pedal with no brakes”

Age 10+ – Push for “social rewards”

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Ages 13-17 – Access to technology is almost guaranteed

Ages 20+ - More ability to self-manage one’s own behavior

Social approval, “likes,” interest from other people

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One 2022 study reported that 95% of this age group have access to a smartphone, 90% to a computer, and 80% to a gaming console³

As the brain continues to develop, there is enhanced decision-making, considering consequences, considering impact of today’s choices on tomorrow, etc

SOCIAL MEDIA & METHODS OF COMMUNICATION

• Examples of Social Media
• Facebook
• TikTok
• Instagram
• Twitter (X)
• YouTube
• Snap Chat (limited history)
• Methods of Communication
• Texting
• Phone Calls
• Messenger
• Discord
• In-game or platform chats

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RISKS FOR ADDICTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA & GAMING USE

• One research group noted that psychosocial vulnerabilities linked to problematic social media use included:
• Being of poor health/well-being
• Having limited self-control
• Low social competence
• They also note that overall frequency of use may not be a good indicator of risk as it’s often the norm to have generally high rates of technology use
• According to the American Psychiatric Association:
• Videogames can have addictive qualities and as such there is a diagnosis of “Internet Gaming Disorder” under review for inclusion in a future DSM
• However, the “percentage of people that might qualify for internet gaming disorder is extremely small.”

HEIGHTENED RISK FOR NEGATIVE PEER INFLUENCE.

• Peer pressure is often depicted as a very overt act

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• In contrast, peer influence shows up in online features that show how many people “liked” the particular content, even when the content was harmful in nature
• For example, a video showing cliff diving

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• “no way”

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• “maybe this isn’t so bad”

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SOCIAL MEDIA & LONELINESS

• Similar to the saying, “feeling alone in a room full of people,” social media can have this effect too
• In the world of social media, the pursuit of money (monetization) has created an environment that tends to focus less on genuine interaction, and more so on content that gets views, likes, etc .
• One research study found evidence that youth who tend to be more influenced by peers often felt more lonely or socially disconnected after having online interactions
• This is particularly concerning because individuals that experience a lack of social connection, increased rates of social anxiety, or “interpersonal impairment” are potentially more vulnerable to suicide.

EXAMPLE�SAM (THEY/THEM)�AGE 14

• When Sam is feeling overwhelmed, they often turn to social media for distraction – to help ease the anxiety they feel in the moment
• Sam also finds that texting to the Crisis Text Line has been extremely helpful and often feels better afterwards
• Sam has also kept in mind that the new 988 resources include an online chat feature that they plan to use at some point too
• Sam hasn’t reached out to their parents or friends to talk about their mental health because “they already have enough on their plates” so this isn’t something they prefer to do
• Sam gets an F in math 🡪 their parents blame this on being on the phone all the time and immediately remove the phone from Sam

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

MODERATE RATHER THAN ELIMINATE

Eliminate

Limit

USING AND LIMITING TECHNOLOGY

• Healthy Boundaries/limits
• Social Media & Gaming it’s not a right, it’s a privilege
• Chores/Homework/Duties should be finished first
• Set a time limit or schedule
• Punish/reward can be linked to extension of privileges
• Consider a written social contract listing
• Rights
• Privileges
• Responsibilities
• Rewards

USING AND LIMITING TECHNOLOGY

• Parental control apps
• Do your research
• Check your devices!
• Most have parental control settings
• Also, keep your apps updated (this helps maintain security)
• Home Wifi
• Some routers can control which devices can use the home’s internet.
• Consider setting a timer

USING AND LIMITING TECHNOLOGY

• Gain understanding through involvement
• Play the game with them
• Watch them play
• Ask them about their games

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• Talk about online use directly
• How much time are you spending online?
• Is it taking away from healthy offline activities, like exercising, seeing friends, reading, and sleeping?
• What content are you consuming, and how does it make you feel?
• Are you online because you want to be, or because you feel like you have to be?

SUMMARY

• Both gaming and the internet in general have pros and cons
• Gaming comes in many forms
• Caregivers must remain engaged and attentive to minors’ activity
• Social Media offers alternative communication rewards and pitfalls
• Monitoring forms of online communication can be challenging
• Traditional methods of oversight, setting limits and guidelines are effective

IMPACT ON SUICIDE

• Anxiety and poor socialization can contribute to suicidal thoughts
• Social Media can create unrealistic expectations and affect self worth
• Gaming can sometimes cause frustration or performance competition
• Online communication can be dangerous or lead to negative perceptions
• Online resources can help someone and is often the first place teens turn
• Proper use of gaming can help boost morale, provide positive reinforcement and teach skills

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QUESTION & ANSWERS