The Latest Research on Teenage Video Game Addiction

Rates of teenage video gaming—and video game addiction—are steadily increasing. A Common Sense Media study released in March 2022 found that teens spent an average of one hour and 46 minutes gaming in 2021, on either a computer, mobile device, or console. Boys make up the large majority of gamers, with an average of 2 hours and 19 minutes of video gaming daily.

Both teen boys and teen girls suffer from video game addiction, which is officially known as internet gaming disorder. However, boys are almost twice as likely to experience this type of addiction. When parents complain, "My son is addicted to video games," they may be dealing with an actual mental health disorder.

Video Game Addiction Statistics

According to video game addiction statistics, a growing number of teens are addicted to gaming. A 2021 study in the journal Addictive Behaviors found that among 3,000 students, more than 19 percent of males and 7.8 percent of females were classified as having gaming disorder. And those numbers are likely to increase as the industry gains even more ground.

In the United States, spending on video games grew by 30 percent in the second quarter of 2020, to a record $11.6 billion. Worldwide, gaming industry revenue is expected to reach $180 billion in 2021, with an estimated 2.5 billion people playing around the globe. That will mean even more children addicted to video games like Fortnite, Minecraft, Fall Guys, and Animal Crossing, which are among the most popular video games for teens.

What Is Teenage Video Game Addiction?

Teenage video game addiction works the same way as other so-called process addictions or behavioral addictions. Process addictions involve behaviors—such as shopping, using social media, or exercising—that have the same effect on the brain as alcohol or drugs. They activate the brain's reward center, releasing the "feel-good" chemical dopamine. This creates a craving for the behavior and a compulsion to continue it. Therefore, kids addicted to video games feel an uncontrollable urge to continue playing.

In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the severity of teenage video game addiction by classifying gaming disorder as a diagnosable mental health condition. Consequently, this disorder is included in the 11th edition of WHO's International Classification of Diseases Manual. The WHO lists three main criteria for the diagnosis of gaming disorder:

An inability to control the urge to play video games

The feeling that gaming is more important than any other activity

Continuing to play video games despite the negative consequences of the behavior on relationships, academic performance, and/or work.

Furthermore, a gaming disorder test should take into account a teen's general mood and self-care habits. Are they acting irritable, anxious, or depressed? Is their grooming deteriorating? Are they forgetting to eat, or eating poorly, as a result of constant gaming? Does your daughter miss sleep due to staying up late playing video games? Does your son stay in his room all day gaming? If the answer to one or more of those questions is yes, video game addiction treatment may be necessary.Causes of Video Game Addiction

Kids are online more than ever before. New research shows that teens spend more than eight and a half hours online for entertainment. This increased exposure to digital media— including gaming as well as social media, web surfing, and watching videos—can trigger gaming disorder.

But the causes of video game addiction go deeper than how much time kids spend playing. There are underlying psychological factors that increase a teen's vulnerability to video game addiction. Research shows a correlation between teenage video game addiction and the prevalence of depression and anxiety. Studies have also found that adolescents with an insecure attachment to parents are more prone to internet addiction, including gaming.

Hence, teens use excessive online gaming as a coping strategy for life problems. Video games serve as a form of escape and a way to numb distress and discomfort. It's no surprise, then, that gaming has been a go-to for people of all ages during stressful times. But teens are particularly at risk for video game addiction due to their high levels of collective trauma and their still-maturing brains.

Why Boys Are More Likely to Have Gaming Disorder

Research consistently shows that male adolescents are more likely than female teens to develop internet gaming disorder (IGD). In the 2021 study, researchers found a relationship between gaming disorder and a higher level of maladaptive cognitions in adolescent males. Maladaptive cognitions refer to unhealthy thinking patterns regarding self-expectations and beliefs. For example, teen boys in the study overvalued the rewards of gaming, and were unwilling to stop playing if they hadn't completed certain gaming tasks.

Other studies have shown that gender differences in the brain may predict the increased risk for males of developing teenage video game addiction. MRI scans show that gaming appears to create more craving-related activity in the male brain, consistent with findings regarding substance and gambling addictions. Scans also showed that males had higher sensitivity to rewards and less sensitivity to losses than females, which might help account for their tendency to continue playing over long periods of time.

In addition, teen boys are more likely to turn to maladaptive coping mechanisms when struggling with mental health issues. Research shows that males feel greater shame about experiencing mental health symptoms, and internalize the idea that men should not show weakness or vulnerability. Therefore, they're less apt to ask for help or talk about what they're feeling. In addition, boys typically have lower "mental health literacy"— the ability to recognize, manage and prevent mental health symptoms. So they self-medicate their distress and difficult emotions instead, with behaviors such as gaming and substance abuse.

The Negative Effects of Video Game Addiction

Along with setting up the conditions for addiction, excessive gaming puts teens' nervous systems into a constant state of overstimulation and hyperarousal. In this state, the body produces increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Hence, teenage video gaming addiction can actually change the brain over time. In one study, young adults with gaming disorder showed lower volumes of gray and white brain matter, associated with poor decision-making, impulse control, and emotion regulation. Furthermore, teens who engage in pathological video gaming are at higher risk of substance abuse disorder, because teenage video game addiction primes the brain for other types of addiction.

The chronic stress caused by hyperarousal is coupled with physical issues produced by the sedentary nature of gaming. As a result, the negative effects of video game addiction include the following:

Difficulty paying attention and controlling impulses

Poor emotion management

Decreased levels of compassion, creativity, and interest in learning

Depression, irritability, and anxiety

Lowered immune function caused by chronic stress

Unhealthy diet and weight

Sleep deprivation, insomnia, and circadian rhythm disorders

Becoming desensitized to violence

Enhanced risk of ADHD

Increased hostility, particularly in teens who have pre-existing personality traits like aggression and indifference to others—making them more susceptible to violent media, research shows.

The largest study ever done on teenage video game addiction and the effects of video game addiction was published in 2020. Researcher Sarah M. Coyne and her team followed 385 adolescents over six years. During this time, 10 percent of gamers exhibited pathological video gaming behavior that got worse over the years. Furthermore, as they aged into young adulthood, the participants in this category showed higher levels of depression, anxiety, aggression, and problematic cell phone use. Confirming previous research, most of the young people in this group were male. In addition, they had lower levels of prosocial behaviors—behaviors enacted with the intention to benefit others. In general, male adolescents who spend too much time gaming show more negative consequences on a social level, whole females experience negative emotional states.

How Parents Can Help Prevent Teenage Video Game Addiction

Limiting video game time seems like an obvious approach to preventing gaming disorder. However, research shows that setting rules about gaming tends to backfire when the limitations are too restrictive and don't allow kids autonomy in their decision-making. Therefore, it's more productive for families to create a contract together that teens are willing to abide by. In addition, because boys' reward-seeking brain activity appears to be triggered more by strategic and active games, moving them toward explorative, social, and problem-solving games may reduce the risk of gaming disorder.

Furthermore, parents searching for wisdom on how to break a child's video game addiction can start by changing their own behavior. Adults can model healthy use of devices by taking regular times away from technology, including video games.

Ultimately, however, the most effective way to prevent teenage video game addiction is by addressing the underlying issues that make teens vulnerable to gaming disorder. Hence, parents can help teens build positive coping mechanisms such as physical activity, time in nature, yoga, meditation, and creative expression. In addition, keep the lines of communication open so that teens feel encouraged to share their feelings and experiences. This is particularly important for boys, who are generally less open about their emotional struggles than girls.

How can you help your teen with issues playing video games too much? Should a teen's behavior indicate gaming disorder or another mental health or co-occurring issue, seek the support of a mental health professional.

Teenage Video Game Addiction Treatment at Newport Academy

As with substance abuse or eating disorders treatment, effective video game addiction treatment must address the root causes of the maladaptive behavior. First, teens need to recognize that their behavior is not serving their well-being, and commit to the work of healing. Subsequently, therapists guide them to explore the emotions they are self-medicating with gaming.

In addition, treatment guides teens to build healthy habits and a balanced relationship with technology. In terms of modalities for teenage video game addiction treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, family therapy, and residential treatment have all been shown to have positive outcomes.

In conclusion, if your child is struggling with teenage video game addiction, Newport Academy can help break your child's behaviors. We treat the root causes of the maladaptive behaviors, not just the symptoms. Contact us today for more information about our outpatient and residential programs for teens, at locations across the country.