Exclusive: Tens of thousands of Australian teenagers are gaming at dangerously high levels, a Macquarie University study has found | JordsBaker
Tens of thousands of Australian teenagers are gaming at pathological levels, which in extreme cases is leading to prolonged school refusal, threats of self-harm and aggression towards family members.
As part of the study, the researchers surveyed almost 900 students from years 7 to 10 at a socially advantaged co-ed Australian high school. Some 24 met the criteria for IGD; 15 of them were male and nine were female. “Feeling you don’t have much control over your environment,” he said. “Feeling you were not good at many things. Feeling you had poor attachment with your parents.”
The 13-year-old, dubbed Adam, was taken to hospital after he threatened to self-harm during an argument about limiting screens. He woke up in the middle of the night to hide his gaming, gambling and emotional eating, and attended school less than half the time over two years. Warburton and his colleagues are recruiting teens for a program to run on the Central Coast in October. A similar program in Germany, which looked at brain function before and after the program, found significant benefits.Jocelyn Brewer, a child psychologist who runs Digital Nutrition, a program promoting healthy technology use, said teens who used technology in ways that interfered with their normal functioning did so because it gave them something they were missing in real life.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Succession, Ted Lasso and Squid Game lead diverse list of Emmy nominationsSuccession received a leading 25 Emmy nominations on Tuesday, but Squid Game, the first non-English language series to vie for TV’s top honour, isn’t far behind.
Read more »
Viral video game character's 'sinister' side triggers warning to parentsAn Adelaide school and senior education experts warn parents about 'the latest harmful trend doing the rounds' — a viral video game character called Huggy Wuggy who sings about killing.
Read more »
Succession and Squid Game lead 2022 Emmy nominationsSuccession has received a leading 25 TheEmmys nominations, but the satirical drama about the rich and ruthless has a landmark rival in Squid Game, the first non-English language series to vie for television’s top honour. 7NEWS
Read more »
Hidden Van Gogh self-portrait discovered behind earlier paintingX-rays reveal artist’s face with hat and neckerchief on canvas in National Galleries of Scotland collection
Read more »
Worried Woods shreds Norman over Saudi messTiger wasn't shy about his feelings for LIV Golf - and one man copped a little extra attention. 9WWOS
Read more »
Winner of Big Brother Australia announcedAfter a season full of drama, game-playing, and housemate bonding, Big Brother’s doors have closed.
Read more »