Children and teenagers seem to spend as much time on their laptops and smartphones as adults, sometimes learning and communicating but more frequently, playing.
No wonder parents worry about children spending most of their time sitting looking at the screens but this is not even the worst part. Kids consume lots of content, including online social media and different games, and the quality of this content is often something to be questioned.
Because many children today have their own smartphones, the quality and type of content they consume is hard to track and control while parents should for sure do that. However, unless parents are very serious with using all those parental control apps and software, they cannot protect their children from being constantly exposed to all kinds of content , including even online casino games.
We cannot but agree that online casinos are part of the online world today. Millions of people play casino games, online or offline; millions visit online casinos on a regular basis and play real money games at online casinos with Trustly or other casino types. Minors are of course not allowed to participate and most gambling sites are very strict about it, while gaming platforms allow milder age limitations.
Minors cannot use plastic cards to make real money deposits and bets at online casinos, or make bets on sports; on the other hand, they can play video games and buy in-game items like loot boxes or extra content, which is not much better than gambling, to be honest. So, video game publishers are okay with taking money from teenagers and kids and they are totally aware of that when targeting these audiences.
All this unlimited or poorly controlled access to all kinds of engaging and entertaining games ends up in compulsive gaming and problem gambling. Both kids and teenagers are susceptible to that so parents are recommended to be very aware.
What Is Problem Gambling?
When it comes to problem gaming or, even worse, gambling in teenagers and children, this is not something a parent can easily cope with by simply limiting screen time or pocket money. This is a mental health condition that should be perceived and treated as a full-fledged substance addiction. This is not a bad habit that can be fixed by a prolonged talk in the kitchen.
Problem gambling can have many degrees of severity and the worst part is that it is pretty hard to recognise and act upon until it reaches some considerable levels. As, like any other addiction, it has a bunch of negative consequences.
At this point, the level of exposure to video games or casino games does not even matter because each kid or teenager has their own level of sensitivity to this type of stimulation. Therefore, some teens can play video games for hours because they enjoy it but stay non-addicted or just slightly addicted while for others, playing a game once makes them crave this type of activity beyond a normal level.
Compulsive gambling and gaming are always caused by a set of factors, but there are three types of causes that always contribute the most.
Symptoms of Compulsive Gambling
Teenagers are usually reluctant to tell parents about their online hobbies or passions. This is especially true when the atmosphere at home is not very supportive and playing video games actually offers an escape from reality.
However, it is possible to recognize compulsive behavior by several indirect symptoms:
- The kid or teenager becomes aggressive if unable to play their games;
- They ignore usual daily activities, including chores, hobbies, and sports;
- Playing games becomes a priority among all other daily activities;
- Sadness, anxiety, and other negative emotions are fixed by retreating to playing;
- Teenager is reluctant to explain or provide details on their playing patterns or habits and becomes protective of their activity;
Solving the problem of teenage compulsive gambling is not easy, and parents are very likely to be forced to take some very unpopular steps.
Unpopular Parenting Steps
Unpopular steps should include prevention of compulsive gambling in the first place. Parents should pay attention to what their kids play, what activities they prefer to pursue, and whether they are willing to talk about them.
This is a contradictory field of action; if a kid was interested in football but was not able to pursue this interest they might choose to retreat to games. So, in this case, stimulating their interest in other things like hobbies and sports may be the best prevention.
Also, some parents prefer quiet and convenient kids at home to inconvenient and «wild» kids exploring the world outside. In this case, children are literally forced to retreat to gaming to fight boredom.
In other words, the best prevention of gaming or gambling addiction is to provide a thriving environment for the kid or teenager and allow them to pursue their true interests. Only if the kid still slips into compulsive gaming, then next steps should be taken. However, these should not be the typical steps of limited screen time (although this is a nice way to keep the kid off the smartphone in general for a bunch of reasons). The real compulsive gambling management should begin with visiting a psychologist.