Can Video Games Contribute to Childhood Anxiety?

Over the years there has been a lot of debate about video games and violence in children, but how about anxiety? Can video games cause anxiety issues in children as well? Recent studies show that some video games can in fact contribute to high levels of anxiety in some children. Let’s talk about what kinds of video games may worsen anxiety in children and how it can work.

Some video games particularly those with scary or adult situations and high levels of violence can increase anxiety levels in some children. This works because playing the game releases the same kind of adrenalin response the body enters in a fight or flight situation. During a fight or flight response your respiratory rate increases, your heart rate increases, your pupils dilate, you may experience tunnel vision and/or hearing loss, and blood is diverted away from nonessential body functions like digestion for a short time to increase blood flow to your muscles making you faster and stronger. During an actual fight or flight situation where you are truly in danger or believe yourself to be energy and adrenaline is expended by either fleeing the situation or staying to fight. In a hypothetical fight or flight situation such as playing video games the energy from these hormones is not expended and remains at high levels in the body which can lead to anxiety issues.
How do you know if your child is anxious or experiencing an anxiety disorder? There are many symptoms of anxiety disorders but some of the more prevalent ones include restlessness, excessive sweating, trouble sleeping, irritability, poor concentration, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, temper tantrums, shakes and chills, frequently expressing feelings of fear, and isolation from others. If your child does exhibit these symptoms of anxiety how do you know if video games are the cause? Well you may never know for certain that they are the cause and even if they are they may not be the only cause. Some things to consider though are how much time does your child spend playing video games, and what kind of video games does your child play? After playing video games does your child exhibit any of the symptoms of anxiety such as restlessness, trouble sleeping, or withdrawing from others? When your child does sleep do they have nightmares about things they have seen or done in the video games? If any of these symptoms are apparent after your child plays video games it would probably be wise to either restrict play to when you can supervise or remove those games altogether at least for awhile to see if symptoms improve.

Not all video games are bad in fact some video games are thought to increase intelligence levels in children and some are even used in the treatment of anxiety disorders! The key is all about the content in the game and the age level the game is intended for. However, it is worth noting that just because the rating is for a child the age of yours that does not necessarily mean the content is appropriate for your individual child. The prevalence of violence, sexuality, and profanity on television, and in movies has made it where certain levels of these things is deemed appropriate even for young children in some of these games while you may not feel that it is appropriate at all. If your child requests a game that you feel may be objectionable either find an alternative game or supervise play so you can turn the game off if it is inappropriate.

Lets take a moment to accentuate the positive aspects of gaming. Yes, there is a positive side too! Video games can help develop a sense of self-confidence and accomplishment. They can also help to develop logic and comprehension skills not to mention increasing hand eye coordination. Video games encourage children to learn how to think quickly and multitask as well. There are also lots of educational video games out there that help teach math, reading, spelling, comprehension, geography and history. Many of the newest gaming consoles also have games that encourage physical activity with games like bowling or golf. Not that these games should be used in place of physical exercise but they are still better than just sitting on your rump for hours on end.

There are some things for you to consider before allowing your child to play any kind of video game. Are you going to have a set limit for the amount of time your child or children are allowed to play each day or week? Will you allow your child to play video games with violence in them? Are there certain levels of ratings that you are comfortable with and others that you are not? Will you supervise your child’s video game playing? If you have set limits of what you feel is acceptable and discuss them with your child it may help you to avoid problems later down the road. Keep in mind that just because certain types of games are restricted in your home does not mean they will be restricted in the homes of friends that your child may visit.

Video games can cause anxiety in some children but not all video games and not in all children. You should talk to your child about the content of their video games or better yet play alongside them. This way if anything questionable or frightening occurs you can discuss it with your child right then and there. Being able to discuss events that occur on television, in video games, or in real life that are scary with a trusted adult can take away a lot of the fear that children feel about them and reduce feelings of anxiety they may feel about them later. Some video games can be useful educational tools and some are even therapeutic in some ways. However, you should still encourage your child to participate in other fun activities such as playing on a sports team with friends, taking art or music lessons, or participating in other after school activities.

If you suspect your child may be suffering from anxiety, click below to learn more about what you can do to help:

Click here to learn more about your child’s anxiety and what you can do to help