Online Gaming Help for Teens From DC

Online Gaming Help that Serves DC Teens

At Camp Pocono Trails, we help teens learn how to live life in balance.  We are the premier summer camp for teens that struggle with digital overuse behaviors including help for internet addiction, family discord, and social problems.  

Our program helps teens from DC with the following issues:

  • Video Game Addiction
  • Social Media Misuse/Overuse
  • Smartphone Addiction/Internet Addiction
  • Building motivation, setting goals and catching back up on anything the video game addiction has affected.

Located in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, our summer camp for video game addiction also serves DC teens.  Our 24/7 overnight program is a viable solution for families seeking the very best option for their teen who overuses video games and related online habits (excessive Youtube watching, online pornography, social media).  

Our summer camp for video game addiction provides help in group and individual therapy to self-reflect and build insight.  Additionally, we help our residents find practical coping skills to align their daily routine with their long-term goals.

It™s not enough for the participant to acknowledge they have a problem- although that is a good starting place.  Campers at our summer camp for video game addiction also leave with the skills and tools to be successful well beyond the structure of Camp Pocono Trails.

We Help DC Teens in a Residential Treatment Center Setting

Residential help for video game addiction is uncharted territory for most parents.  Parents today are tasked with raising the very first generation of teenagers immersed in a world of technology.  Screens are everywhere- teens bring internet-connected smartphones to school and often have access to games on the bus, in class, in the lunchroom, and back home again until mom or dad return from work.  For most families, gaming addiction is an issue that requires high levels of intervention.

Most families that come to Camp Pocono Trails have tried just about everything.  Setting limits, taking electronics away, and lecturing have not worked. Even if we were capable of completely eliminating video games in a child’s life, would we be setting the child up for success after high school is over?

Our summer camp for video game addiction is the top option available for most families.  Your child will not just simply be limited in their game usage- they will learn how to implement these limits going forward, and will develop the motivation to limit screen use, so you don™t have to be the screen police.

Teens from DC Have Been Found to Suffer Depression Due to Screen Addiction

Residential help centers for video game addiction have to address underlying issues as well.  At our Pennsylvania based facility, we focus on helping teens reinvent themselves and find positive goals.  Issues such as peer pressure, academic expectations and changing bodies can bring a lot of ups and downs for teens. But for some teens, the lows are harder to pull out of. 

Teen depression can have serious consequences. For most teens, depression symptoms ease with help such as medication and psychological counseling. Research has consistently shown that all screen activities are linked to less happiness, and all non-screen activities are linked to more happiness. Eighth-graders who spend 10 or more hours a week on social media are 56 percent more likely to say they™re unhappy than those who devote less time to social media. Campers who spend six to nine hours a week on social media are still 47 percent more likely to say they are unhappy than those who use social media even less.

The opposite is true of in-person interactions. Those who spend an above-average amount of time with their friends in person are 20 percent less likely to say they™re unhappy than those who hang out for a below-average amount of time.  The number of teens who get together with their friends nearly every day dropped by more than 40 percent from 2000 to 2015; the decline has been especially steep recently.

Our summer camp for video game addiction will help your teen learn healthy new routines- and we will help them transfer these skills back home by preparing them for success.  Socialization practice and time management are key components of the program. All DC campers who come to Camp Pocono Trails get the opportunity to learn and practice new ways of interacting and making friends.

Who does Camp Pocono Trails help?

Camp Pocono Trails helps teens struggling with issues similar to those below:
– Social Issues
– Video game addiction
– Social Anxiety Disorder
– Family Conflict
– Autism Spectrum
– Technology Addiction
– Anxiety
– Low Self Esteem
– Social isolation
– Addictive Behaviors
– Poor Communication Skills
– School Refusal
– Depression
– Impulse Control
– Trauma
– ADHD

Resources

Video Game Addiction: First Steps

Many gamers that come to Camp Pocono Trails use a Steam account to manage their game settings.  Here is a comprehensive guide for parents to manage your child’s Steam account.

Steam: Setting up Family View


We encourage you to create a Steam account with your child. If there are features of Steam that you would like to exclude from the experience, you can restrict access using Family View. You may also choose to enable Family View on your own Steam account if you would rather they share your Steam Account.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=5149-EOPC-9918


To enable Family View:

  • Log into the Steam account your child will use.
  • Click the Steam menu in the top menu bar.
  • Open the Settings option.
  • Go to the “Family” tab on the left side of the window that opens.
  • Click œFamily View to start the Family View wizard.
  • Step through the wizard to select the content and features you™d like to be accessible while in PIN-protected Family View.
  • Select and confirm your new PIN.

With any gaming company, we recommend you check game ratings and actually have your child demonstrate the game before allowing any unsupervised play.  You can also go on Youtube to watch a game œwalk through to see how violence and adult themes are portrayed.

Online Gaming Help: First Steps with the Xbox

As parents, our job is to prepare our children for the independence of adulthood.  Below is a valuable resource for parents you may want to try as a first step:

Xbox LIVE Healthy Gaming Guide

This guide is designed to help you be safe and comfortable while using your Xbox 360™ and Xbox® to play video games.

Things to consider:

  • Position: Make sure your position is not encouraging discomfort.
  • Forces: Even low forces can cause injury, especially when repeated over time.
  • Breaks: Stepping away at regular intervals is important.
  • Health: Keep a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
  • Tools for Families: Find out how to use ratings, parental controls, and more.

https://www.xbox.com/en-US/Live/HealthyGamingGuide

 

Camp Pocono Trails Helps DC Families From Cities Such As:

Some examples of cities from DC which may have families who could use Camp Pocono Trails: Washington