Video games are everywhere. They are available on our phones, computers, and tablets. Maybe you play for fun or use it to bribe your kids to do their chores. But you may not realize how much they are affecting you or perhaps how it is affecting your kids. Today on the show we have Julie Doan, an emerging expert in the field of video game addiction. She partners in this field with her husband, Dr. Doan, who was once a game addict himself. She will share surprising stats and practical ways that will help you and your family become unhooked from games.

A national, cross-sectional study at Iowa State University of 1178 children ages eight to eighteen showed that 8.5% of the children demonstrated behaviors of addiction similar to other behavioral addictions like pathologic gambling. The kids addicted to video games demonstrated lower grades in school, attention problems, and other health problems. The video game addiction rate is between 8% and 12% worldwide based on research by several research groups and Douglas Gentile, Ph.D.

The problem is, as a society in general, we are not educated about the long-term mental and health risks of video game addiction. Video games are free and available everywhere, and people are unaware of the one in ten who can and will be addicted to video games. The video game addict destroys his or her life and the lives of the people they love. It’s time our society understands this addiction, prevent it, and help the one in ten who are addicted to video games.

Tune in to hear more about this important subject. If you want to learn more about this subject you can go to http://www.hooked-on-games.com.

This episode first aired on May 13, 2017.