For the overall growth of children, it is essential to engage them in different kinds of activities such as art, drama, music, and gaming. Children enjoy playing online games for added excitement and fun in their lives. While being involved in Internet gaming, children tend to forget other tasks.

It is observed that excessive engagement with technology can result in mental disorders. It is quite common that parents complain that their kids have symptoms related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, research has something else to indicate. Let us first get a better understanding of ADHD.

1. What is ADHD?
You might have noticed your child behaving weirdly. If the child is unable to focus on any work or activity except the screen of a video game, this does not mean that he/she is suffering from ADHD. Many people correlate the combination of diverted attention toward Internet gaming and changed the behavior of the child with ADHD, which is wrong.

ADHD is a medical condition in which people find it hard to pay attention to tasks and control their spontaneous behaviors. The most common symptoms of ADHD include emotional turmoil, unfinished tasks, aggression, limited attention, persistent repetition of actions or words, and a lack of focus.

2. Internet gaming, children, and ADHD
In gaming, children are engrossed so much that they find other work boring. Be it a school assignment, having a meal, playing with siblings or friends, or any outdoor activity. However, diverted attention does not have any relation to ADHD. With video gaming, children’s attention is diverted from other important work.

Not all children are blessed with social skills and skills that are needed to be a great player at team sports. When such children start playing video games, they not only experience emotional safety but also feel entertained and capable. This is because, when playing a video game, the child does not have to perform in front of the crowd.

Additionally, whenever he or she makes any sort of mistake during video gaming, they do not have to deal with any kind of embarrassment because no one knows about it. He or she starts improving by rectifying his or her own mistakes and feels a certain level of satisfaction.

Hence, the child gets trapped in a vicious circle where he or she feels an ultimate winner. Gradually, he or she starts losing the ability of self-regulation. This invites hyperfocus, and such pleasurable activities like video games make it hard for the child to focus on things that are actually important. Here comes the need for parents to wisely set the limits and save their child from video-game overuse. This part can be hard but it is necessary to discuss the rules with your child and encourage him to obey the same. The child can also be involved in non-competitive sports or activities.

Eugene Arnold, who is a child psychiatrist at Ohio State, opines that anything in excess is dangerous. It’s not wrong if the kids play video games in moderation.