Gaming the System: Gaming Addiction & Screen Time

Episode 38 of Gaming the System, Brought to you by Game Quitters - Dealing with Gaming Nostalgia

In this episode I cover:

• Why you get nostalgic about games
• How to practically overcome nostalgia and avoid going back to gaming

Resources:

• Guide to Video Game Addiction
• Game Quitters Forum
• How to Quit Gaming

Want to find out more?

• Follow us on Twitter
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Listen to more episodes

Episode 37 of Gaming the System, Brought to you by Game Quitters - Why Are Some Games More Addictive than Others?

In this episode I cover:

• The 4 reasons why you get addicted to gaming
• The Game Quitters addiction model and how it can help you identify games you should avoid
• External and internal factors that contribute to a game's 'addiction score'

Resources:

• Guide to Video Game Addiction
• Article on Why Games Are More Addictive than Others (+Addiction Model)
• Game Quitters Forum
• How to Quit Gaming

Want to find out more?

• Follow us on Twitter
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Listen to more episodes

Episode 36 of Gaming the System, Brought to you by Game Quitters - The #1 Habit to Start When You Quit Gaming.

In this episode I cover:

• Why I hated journaling in the past
• How I've implemented it into my routine so that it has become effortless
• The benefits of journaling
• The best way to get started

Resources:

• Game Quitters Forum
• How to Quit Gaming

Want to find out more?

• Follow us on Twitter
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Listen to more episodes

Kids are at home and uncertainty is in the air... how do you find balance with technology use without constantly fighting and being stressed?

1) Get in the right mindset!

Reframe this crisis as an opportunity for you and your family to develop a deeper connection.

It might be painful at first, but don’t lose hope. Be prepared for bickering and decide how you are going to show up. We like the mantra, KFC: Kind, Firm, Calm.

Some of you might need to relax your rules a little…Okay but don’t feel you have to or get pressured into having no rules.

2) When it comes to screen time... focus on quality over quantity.

Are you/they watching cat videos on YouTube or learning to code? Are they FaceTiming with a friend or scrolling through Instagram? Are they playing a game that makes them angry or laughing and having a good time with mates? Are they playing educational games? Doing courses?

How they spend time on screens matters a lot more than "how much" time they spend on screens. And yes, sometimes, that even includes needing to watch a few cat videos on YouTube.

3) Use this newfound time to build skills and learn!

We always say we don't have time to read that book, do that course, clean that room, try that new hobby, pick up the guitar again, call that friend, write that book.

Now you have it. Invest in yourself wisely. That doesn't have to be all day, but every day, do something to grow and push yourself forward. And encourage your family to do the same.

This is a great opportunity for you to ask your tech savvy kids to teach you about the features on your phones or computers that you don't know.

4) Get healthy!

Work out a bit each day. Do it as a family. Put a yoga video on YouTube. Maybe break out the Nintendo Wii from the attic. Find time every day to do bodyweight exercises, stretch, meditate, get in shape! It will make staying home easier.

5) Establish a routine.

Maybe when you work. They do homework. You focus as a family for two hours and then take a break. Rinse and repeat as needed. This process is one day at a time. Use structure wisely to provide certainty.

6) Have a family meeting!

Gather everyone's input on what this experience has been for them and what they hope it to be over the next days, weeks, months. Let everyone have a voice!

Just get it out on the table so you can begin to have discussions on finding a compromise that works for your family. This is a good time to discuss family values!

If it starts get loud and confrontational, have everyone write their points and questions on index cards and go through them one at a time. Communicate expectations early and clearly.

This is also a good time to discuss any emotions or fears that are coming up around the crisis. Remember that some people are more comfortable communicating in writing and not out loud.

7) Establish "if then" consequences in writing.

Don’t go overboard.. especially if they are not realistic for you to adhere to over the next few weeks. Consistency is probably more important than rigidity at this time.

If this happens, then this happens. Standards are set and consequences are not surprises.

8) YOU ARE THE ROLE MODEL

Are you using technology wisely? Are you scrolling Twitter for your 18th hour today stressed and anxious and passing that onto other family members? Are you focusing on your own self-care? Are you embracing new hobbies?

Your capacity to be the best version of yourself at this time will be seen by others. Let your focus inspire them.

9) NEED MORE HELP?

We have a FREE FB group for parents to navigate gaming or digital overuse issues. Join here.

I couldn’t see myself spending more than a few hours on something like Solitaire, but if you put me in front of Dark Souls then it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

At Game Quitters, we see the same names pop up over and over again when people are talking about the most addicting games.

Modern video games are a far cry from the games of old. They’re no longer just intended to provide a few hours of entertainment. Gaming companies know exactly how to keep you hooked.

They understand how often to reward you, how to tailor their game to specific people, and how to extract as much money as possible from their players.

However, if games are designed to be addictive, does that also mean that certain games or genres are more likely to keep you hooked?

Read our list of the most addicting games in the world.

How can you overcome cravings for video games?

I've spent over 5 years battling with a video game addiction, and almost 1 year working with Game Quitters. I've learnt a lot about how to overcome certain problems in this time, and cravings are definitely at the top of the list for most common struggles.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

• Understand why you have cravings; what needs are you missing out on
• Catch yourself in the moment
• Habit loop; trigger, action, reward
• Acknowledge, Accept, Action
• Change your environment
• Keep yourself occupied with other activities
• Be more social
• Mindset of momentum

Also, make sure to stick around to the end for a special announcement!

Thanks for watching, and if you enjoyed don't forget to leave a rating, review, and subscribe to the show. It really helps us out a lot!

What do you think the average gamer looks like? A man in his early 20’s, perhaps a college student? Wrong. It’s actually a woman in her mid 30’s. 

Why is it then that the average gaming addict is a 24-year-old male?

With men making up over 90% of the population of gaming addicts, scientists have been prompted to undertake research into why this is the case.

As it turns out, there may actually be underlying neurological reasons as to why men are more likely to become addicted to gaming, read more in the study here.

Personally, I think the naturally competitive nature of men plays a bigger role in it. Video games are the perfect place for men to assert dominance in ways that would have been fulfilled through fighting or sports in the past. It's no wonder then, with so many people playing games, that men have naturally tended to dominate the competitive space.

Want to know more? Read our article: Everything you need to know about gaming disorder.

Also, if you stick to the end of the episode I make a big announcement about the launch of a new podcast!

Life After Gaming is going to feature stories and interviews from the people that make Game Quitters possible: You!

I'll post more information in the future but you can have a read of the post on our forum here if you're interested!

Thanks for listening, and as always don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to Gaming the System so you're notified of future episodes!

See you next time.

It's one thing to quit gaming and find some new hobbies to fill your time, it's another to develop these hobbies into meaningful passions that bring you fulfilment, motivation, and growth throughout your life.

The problem is, it's difficult. Gaming warps your ability to gain happiness from other things.

Nothing can compete with video games on a primal level when it comes to meeting your basic human needs. Combine it with other modern luxuries such as smartphones, food delivery, and even porn, and you've got the perfect conditions for humans to stop seeking fulfilment outside of what's comfortable to them.

In this episode of Gaming the System I go into why gaming is making everything boring, and what you can do about it. The answer is simpler than you think.

However, don't confuse simple with easy.

LINKS:
- Game Quitters Hobby Tool
- How to Quit Gaming
- Quitting Gaming in College

Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe to Gaming the System and leave a rating if you enjoyed!

See you in the next episode.

With tens of millions of teenagers playing violent video games such as Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, and PUBG do parents have cause for concern? Does playing video games make you violent? If you are playing violent video games, are you at risk of committing horrific acts of murder? 

As it turns out, the answer isn't quite so black and white.

There has been a huge amount of research done on the topic of whether or not video games cause violence, and the general consensus sits somewhere in the middle.

Most people are in agreement that prolonged exposure at an early age to violent video games could increase the likelihood of aggressive behaviour in adolescence, however, aggressive doesn't necessarily mean violent.

You can find some links that I made use of throughout the episode down below, and there's a huge rabbit hole of information that you can end up getting lost in if you really want to.

Liked the podcast? Didn't like it? Let me know what you think by sending an e-mail to [email protected] if you have any feedback, questions, or just any comment at all.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a rating, it really helps out a lot!

Until next time.

Useful Links:

1. Business Insider, 2018
2. APA, 2015
3. Berkowitz, 1993
4. Eron, Huesmann, Lefkowitz, & Walder, 1974
5. Ferguson et al., 2013
6. Sameroff, Bartko, Baldwin, Baldwin, & Seifer, 1988
7. Supreme Court, 2011
8. https://dana.org/article/do-violent-video-games-lead-to-violence/
9. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/sports/trump-violent-video-games-studies.html
10. https://www.ft.com/content/1c5914b6-bdb7-11e9-9381-78bab8a70848
11. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/201908/the-evidence-video-games-lead-violence-is-weak
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_and_video_games
    
    

The question of whether or not you can play video games in moderation is one of the most common problems we get asked at Game Quitters. 

People post on our forum, on social media, and on the Stop Gaming subreddit about it almost daily asking for help.

If you're in this position, where you want to play games but aren't sure how to go about doing it, then you'll want to listen to this podcast.

You'll learn:
- What healthy gaming looks like
- Why people want to play in moderation
- Whether or not it's possible to play in moderation
- Why it's so difficult to avoid gaming after you quit
- Everything you need to know about playing in moderation

Links mentioned:

- Instant Gratification
- How to Develop Self-Discipline
- Dopamine Fasting
- Distraction Free YouTube
- Hobby Tool for New Activities

Thanks for listening to the episode, and if you enjoyed it don't forget to leave a review and subscribe, it really helps us out! 

Until next time.

Peace.