Online Gaming Help for Teens From South Dakota

Residential Treatment Centers for South Dakota Teens with Video Game Addictions

Our Pennsylvania based summer camp for video game addictions specializes in getting teens off their screens and back in life.  Gaming or video game addiction is very hard to treat. In one surprising study, In one study 84% of addicted gamers were still addicted two years later, demonstrating how difficult gaming addiction is to treat.  In the same study, 7% of online gamers were classified as psychologically or behaviorally dependent on online gaming. 

This begs the question, “why is gaming so addictive?”  According to research in the Journal of Mental Health and Addiction 41% of people who play online video games do so as an, “escape from the real world.”  While a temporary escape can be healthy (like watching a movie or going on vacation) escaping when there is schoolwork or chores to be done can be damaging.  If your child is choosing video games over interacting with others face to face, a summer camp for video game addiction may be the answer.

There is much debate currently about the effect of video game violence on the real world.  According to a study in Pediatrics, as much as 20% of real-life violence may be attributable to media violence.  Why is this? Researchers speculate that there is a two-fold issue here. First, constant exposure to video game violence decreases our sensitivity to real-world violence.  Seeing a fight at school might seem more normal to a child that has been exposed to ongoing video game violence, making them less likely to intervene or even more likely to instigate violence themselves.

Video Game Disorder: First Steps for South Dakota Families.

The first step for South Dakota families is to sit down with your teenager and discuss your concerns. Don’t criticize or blame.  Simply express your concern and create a dialog about the topic. A teen will more likely change if the influence is positive and supportive versus critical in nature.  Treatment for video game disorder starts with building empathy with the child and expressing genuine concern.

Agreeing on limits is a great next step to help South Dakota families that have a teen experiencing video game disorder.  It’s important for the teen to understand the reason for the limits, however. Have the teen write up a contract with your input that outlines when they can have screen time, and begin the contract with a statement of purpose.

It’s very easy for parents of teens to fall into the habit of nagging.  Nagging is the knee-jerk response to seeing a behavior you don’t like. But teens, in general, don’t respond well to nagging.  Also, as we all know, as soon as the nagging stops, the teen’s behavior resumes.

A better approach is to acknowledge the issue and let the teen know you are there to talk about it when they are ready.  Teens need to find an identity with an interest that appeals to them. At our summer camp for video game addiction, we have a wide range of experiences for our campers including:

  • Mountain biking
  • Model rockets
  • Hiking
  • Drone flying
  • Music and art
  • Sports and fitness
  • Beach activities

South Dakota Teens Can Find Success at Our Online Gaming Help

Internet gaming disorder is a serious issue in South Dakota.  Fortunately, at our summer camp for video game addiction, we help our campers build motivation by finding replacement activities that are healthy and more productive than mindlessly browsing the internet, watching Youtube, or playing endless hours of video games.

It™s been our experience that after the initial detox period, campers find replacement activities quickly and can transfer their feelings of success online to an offline world.  Young minds are able to quickly adapt as routines and interests changes- especially if there is peer support helping the teen along.

We’ve found some unique ways to transfer online skills to the real world.  For example- campers engage in drone races using controllers much like an XBox controller.  The difference is that they are outside, and racing through obstacles as part of a team.

Who does Camp Pocono Trails help?

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

Resources

Online Gaming Help: Phone Structure

Apple brand products offer some of the best and hardest to œget around controls for parents.

You can learn how to set up parental controls for Apple products here: https://support.apple.com/kb/ph18571?locale=en_US

As a parent, you want your kids to have a safe and happy experience on the Mac. Using Parental Controls preferences, you can manage, monitor, and control the time your kids spend on the Mac, the websites they visit, and the people they chat with.  After you set restrictions for a child using a Mac, you can manage parental controls from a different Mac. Both computers must be on the same network.

 

Online Gaming Help: Online Resources

TechAddiction.com

TechAddiction is committed to providing helpful, informative, and high quality links to services and individuals who provide help for or information on internet and video game addiction.

Reaching out to your local therapy network may also provide the solution you seek.  However, if you™ve already tried therapy and you didn™t get the results you wanted, or if your child refuses to go to therapy, Camp Pocono Trails may be exactly what you are looking for.

You can also reach out to your insurance company and see if they cover group or individual therapy, or if they cover summer camps like Camp Pocono Trails.

Camp Pocono Trails Helps South Dakota Families From Cities Such As:

Some examples of cities from South Dakota which may have families who could use Camp Pocono Trails: Sioux Falls Rapid Hartford