A CAMPAIGN video featuring an honest account of a child’s addiction to online gaming has been shown in York.    

A short video uses text from a real call made to Childline from a 15-year-old boy who became less interested in school and other activities as a result of his playing.

Young people can skip homework or school to spend more time playing games online.

With more free time during school holidays, the opportunity to focus uninterrupted time playing games increases, at the cost of sleep and time spent with friends and family.

A literal cost comes in the form of purchases of in game add-ons, or downloadable content.

The NSPCC is running the campaign and local manager Gail Sayles said: “Many games are designed to keep children playing, and as the account from the anonymous boy attests, once a player is immersed, it can be easy to spend hours online without realising it.”

Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones, founder of the first NHS clinic to treat gaming disorders admitted she was not prepared for what she has seen since its opening.

The National Centre for Gaming Disorders opened his doors in 2020 and has received 800 referrals in just over three years.

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Writing in The Guardian, she said: “I was not prepared for what we came across, with violence within the home and refusal to go to school being prominent.”

She said most patients are young and male, often 16 or 17, and are likely to have been high achievers before developing a gaming disorder.

 

One third of referrals to the clinic featured reference to loot boxes, in which gamers spend money to receive extras within the game.

Professor Bowden-Jones said: “We need reassurance that protective regulation of these products will be implemented.”

Gail Sayles said: “Talking to children often about their gaming can help them think about it differently.

“But remember, for some young people, these conversations can be difficult.

“They might worry that they’ll no longer be allowed to play the game at all, and this could prevent them from seeking help when they need it.

“Try to find out how long a level or round typically lasts and when it can be paused or saved, for example.

“Changing gaming habits doesn’t always mean stopping playing the games outright.

“Try making a schedule of when they should and shouldn’t be gaming, perhaps enjoying an hour of gaming as a reward for finishing homework or, during the summer holidays, chores.”

The Childline website contains advice about how to deal with worries about video game addiction, and counsellors can be contacted on 0800 1111.

Adults can contact the NSPCC Helpline for advice and support on 0808 8005000, by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk or at www.nspcc.org.uk.