Kids

A Gamer’s Guide: How Parents Can Deal With Their Kids’ Mobile Game Addiction

by Kevyn Gohu
May 18, 2023

Mobile Game Addiction has become rampant and here’s how parents can either deal with it or prevent it.

Video Game Addiction now has a new sub-category: mobile game addiction, where kids cannot last a day without playing video games on their mobile phones. While mobile phones and tablets have served as the digital yayas of today, addiction starts when there’s no human interaction to balance it. Video games are meant to immerse and that’s what makes them fun. But here are some ways to help your kids deal with mobile game addiction or prevent it.

1. Get them involved in a sport

Sports offer the same adrenaline as mobile games do. Both offer competitions, challenges, and rewards that are thrilling. Mobile games are just more instant with less physical effort. But the community it covers is what makes the rewards, competitions, and challenges thrilling especially if they’re fighting on an international stage. With sports, it starts local but if they get really good, they can go national or even global.

2. Don’t use your mobile phone in front of them

Kids model their parents’ behavior and if they see parents using their phones and not talking to each other, they’ll think it’s okay to do the same. With no conversation to engage them, they look to mobile games for that stimulation. The adrenaline found in playing the mobile game is what makes it addicting, especially with high-speed decision-making, real-time play, cool graphics, and the lore behind the game (if there’s any.)

3. When they’re bored, don’t immediately give them a mobile phone

There will be days when parents don’t have the energy to deal with their kids, leaving the small humans to be bored out of their minds. It may be the first instinct to give them a phone since it does a lot of things but that’s where the mobile game addiction starts because it can do many things. Unless you’re giving them a mobile phone to read then, try giving them a real book. Much better if you read a book in front of them.

4. Let them go out with friends

Although there are some events that kids shouldn’t be in, saying “no” out of anxiety or out of discomfort (i.e. distance, not liking that particular kid) can make them retreat into the gaming world because that’s the only other place they can meet them. Mobile games are not just for the thrill of winning but can also serve as a place where they can hang out. By letting them hang out physically, they have more things to explore together as friends.

5. Don’t give kids access to an E-Wallet

Some games sell premium items like skins, characters, and in-game currency that need real money. By not giving them an e-wallet until they’re much more mindful in handling money, they won’t be able to feed their mobile game addiction because they have no money to buy it.

Some mobile game developers have already taken steps to curb the addiction

Some countries like Korea and Japan have developed mechanics like energy systems to prevent players from spending too much time on their mobile games. However, a lot of the mobile games meant for kids may not have that same system. This is why parents need to come up with concrete ways to curb the addiction. While these five steps can prevent it, it’s always best to consult an expert when kids do develop mobile game addiction.