Early Warning Signs of Game Addiction in Children and Teens

Essentially, dopamine is the neurotransmitter that helps us 

to feel pleasure and it is released in the brain during 

pleasurable activities which makes us more likely to repeat 

those behaviors again and again such as eating or 

spending time with loved ones. In this way, dopamine 

reinforces pleasurable activities. 

Online gaming may provide children with feelings of 

achievement and those with Internet Gaming Disorder may 

be less sensitive to rewards (i.e., this feeling of 

achievement), therefore, they need to spend more time 

gaming to feel rewarded. Hence setting up a pattern of 

addiction. 

 

Other risk factors for children developing Internet Gaming Disorder are:

• Difficulty with decision-making: children who find it hard to 

make appropriate decisions about how to spend their time 

• Poor social skills: children who may find it hard to connect 

with children in real-world activities 

• Difficulty regulating emotions: children who find it hard to 

manage distress may turn to easy solutions such as video 

games (e.g., as a distraction or an escape 

Eight Signs of Gaming Addiction in Children: 

 

1. A preoccupation with video games

As video games are a popular pastime for children and 

adults alike, it can be hard to know what constitutes playing 

them for “too long.” The DSM-5 [3] suggests children with 

Internet Gaming Addiction can spend up to eight to ten 

hours per day and up to 30 hours per week playing video 

games. 

 

2. Giving up other activities such as hobbies or 

responsibilities

An important question to ask is: is my child giving up 

other hobbies or responsibilities in order to play video 

games? If your child has stopped completing their 

homework, seeing their friends, or engaging in other 

hobbies such as sports, they may be playing video games 

too much. 

 

3. Needing to spend more time gaming to satisfy the 

urge

Another thing to keep in mind is whether your child is 

displaying the need to play for an increasing amount of time 

playing video games in order to feel satisfied. This is known 

as tolerance, a sign of addiction in other addictive disorders 

(similar to someone with a Substance Use Disorder needing 

to drink more alcohol to become inebriated). 

 

4. Becoming emotional when video games are removed

A sign of an unhealthy relationship with video games is if 

your child becomes hostile, anxious, or sad when you take 

away access. If you have noticed video games having a 

negative impact on your child as described above, yet they 

still become emotional when they are removed, this may be 

a warning sign. In the DSM-5, this emotional response is 

considered a sign of withdrawal from video games. 

 

5. An inability to reduce playing time

A child with a gaming addiction may continue to games for 

extended periods despite knowing they need to 

reduce their gaming time. 

 

6. Continuing to game despite problems

Even though a child may be aware of the negative 

consequences of their gaming, such as impaired sleeping, 

feeling chronically tired, not meeting their responsibilities, 

increased arguing with family members, or feeling moody, 

an addicted child may continue to game despite their 

problems. 

 

7. Deceiving family members about when they are 

playing

Another sign of addiction is if your child tries to conceal or 

hide how much time they are spending on their gaming, or, if 

they are sneaking access behind their parents' backs, despite 

knowing they are not meant to be on their gaming devices. 

 

8. Using games to relieve negative moods

Gaming can be used as an escape or a relief from negative 

moods, setting up a dependence on gaming to feel good. 

This is another sign of addiction.