Unpacking the Vulnerability of Teens: The Allure of Gaming Addiction

Published: December 23, 2024

How Vulnerable Are Adolescents to Gaming Addiction?

By Movieguide® Contributor

You may want to monitor the amount of time your teenager spends playing video games, as it could lead to problematic addictions.

“One of the primary concerns for parents of children and teenagers is the amount of screen time considered acceptable and how to determine where to set limits,” stated John Foxe, Ph.D., head of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester. “This information starts to provide us with some insights.”

“Researchers examined data gathered from 6,143 identified video game players aged 10–15 over a span of four years,” reported Medical Xpress. “During the first year, the researchers performed brain scans using fMRI while participants engaged in a task that required them to press a button quickly enough to earn a $5 reward. The same participants subsequently answered Video Game Addiction Questionnaires during the following three years.”

The findings revealed that those exhibiting increased symptoms of gaming addiction had lower brain activity in areas associated with decision-making and reward processing in the initial brain scan from four years prior.

“Earlier studies in adults have provided comparable insights, indicating that this diminished response to reward anticipation correlates with pronounced symptoms of gaming addiction and suggests that a reduced sensitivity to rewards, particularly those outside of gaming, might contribute to problematic gaming,” Medical Xpress reported.

Daniel Lopez, Ph.D, a postdoctoral researcher at the Developmental Brain Imaging Lab at Oregon Health & Science University, noted, “Gaming in itself is not detrimental, but there is a threshold, and our study clearly indicates that some individuals are more predisposed to symptoms of gaming addiction than others.”

He explained that the research aids them in identifying “neural markers,” which helps them determine who is at a greater risk of developing unhealthy gaming habits.

The investigation, which began in 2015, has followed 11,878 youth from early adolescence to adulthood.

READ MORE: THE IMPACT OF GAMING ADDICTION ON LIVES

“The open-source data model has permitted researchers nationwide to illuminate various aspects of social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth during adolescence,” Medical Xpress stated. “The University of Rochester joined the study in 2017 and is among 21 sites collecting this data from nearly 340 participants. Ed Freedman, Ph.D., a professor of Neuroscience at the University and co-principal investigator of the university site, spearheaded this recent research on gaming.”

“The substantial data set containing this previously understudied developmental phase is reshaping recommendations for areas such as sleep and screen time. We now have specific brain regions correlated with gaming addiction in teenagers,” Freedman remarked. “This enables us to explore additional questions that may assist in identifying at-risk youth and whether there are alternative behaviors or recommendations that might mitigate risks.”

Another investigation published in the journal “Brain and Cognition” indicated that significant alterations in gray and white matter in the brains of individuals who played violent video games were observed.

“Correlations were identified between changes in gray matter and measures of aggression, hostility, self-esteem, and levels of internet addiction, suggesting a detrimental impact from violent video games,” the study declared.

A separate study employing MRI brain scans found that children who engaged in frequent gaming exhibited brain patterns analogous to those of substance and alcohol abusers.

READ MORE: IS IT POSSIBLE TO OVERCOME A GAMING ADDICTION?