Key age when parents should worry if their child is doing too much gaming

One in ten boys will get into problem gaming according to a landmark study following kids for eight years.

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a behavioural condition where excessive gaming leads to significant problems in daily life including school, relationships and mental health. The research by Nottingham Trent University, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and RMIT University in Melbourne followed more than 800 children in Norway from age of 10 to 18.

The research revealed that 12 years is the key age after which, if excessive gaming continues, then there is a greater risk of problems later on. Those whose interest in gaming steadied or even dropped off once they hit the teens tended to be ok.

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Dr Daria Kuss, co-author and Associate Professor of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, said: “This seminal study provides one of the most detailed pictures yet of how gaming disorder emerges and evolves during adolescence. While most young people game without harm, a significant minority are at risk of developing patterns of play that can disrupt their lives, education, and wellbeing.

“Our findings underscore the importance of early, age-appropriate interventions to prevent internet gaming disorder from taking hold during the critical teenage years.”

The study, published in the journal Addiction, identified two main types of symptoms of IGD:

• Heavy involvement - defined as preoccupation, when it becomes a priority over other activities, and difficulty controlling play, when the child can't stop or reduce their gaming time even when they want to.
• Negative consequences - loss of interest in other activities, poor sleep, low mood and problems at school or with relationships
  

Researchers used face-to-face clinical interviews and assessed symptoms of internet gaming disorder at five points over eight years, resulting in more than 3,200 observations. By the age of 18 some 10% of boys and 2% of girls had met the criteria for IGD at least once.

Heavy involvement increased steadily from age 10, peaking in mid-adolescence, before usually dropping sharply at age 18. Negative consequences remained stable throughout the teenage years.

IGD symptoms at age 10 were only weakly related to symptoms in later adolescence, suggesting that early signs often subside naturally. However from age 12 onwards, increases in heavy involvement predicted a greater risk of negative consequences later on.

Boys were three to five times more likely than girls to be affected by IGD but when girls did develop symptoms, the negative consequences were just as severe.

Lead author Professor Lars Wichstrøm, from Norwegian University of Science and Technology, said: “Early adolescence offers a real opportunity to intervene before gaming habits become entrenched and harder to change.

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“We recommend that parents, schools and health professionals focus on reducing excessive gaming in early adolescence, rather than waiting for more serious problems to emerge. Both boys and girls who show signs of problematic gaming should be offered support, as the risks are real for both.”