Where is the line between healthy gaming and unhealthy gaming? How much gaming is too much? And when does a gaming habit
evolve into gaming addiction? These are some of the questions regarding
screen time that I hear from many parents, and they highlight some of
the ongoing challenges families face in raising children who can be
responsible tech users and whose screen use and gaming doesn’t interfere
with their lives in a way that can be harmful or keep them stuck.
So when I learned of the new book How to Raise a Healthy Gamer: End Power Struggles, Break Bad Screen Habits, and Transform Your Relationship with Your Kids by Dr. Alok Kanojia, I knew I wanted to invite him onto the show to talk about all things gaming with us. In this conversation, we talked
about how we as parents can know whether our child is addicted to video games or not, why screen time limits and restricting gaming time
are at odds with the goal of raising a healthy gamer, and how to shift
to a holistic approach that considers overall well-being and
goal-setting. We also talked about why children with ADHD are more
susceptible to addictive behaviors surrounding gaming and how to raise
healthy gamers from a young age.
Dr. Alok Kanojia is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist specializing in
the intersection of technology x mental health. Also known as ”Dr. K” to
millions of people on the internet, Dr.Kanojia is the co-founder of
Healthy Gamer, a mental health platform that serves the digital
generation. He has inspired millions of people with online content while
overseeing the mental health coaching of thousands of young people. He
is widely regarded as the foremost expert on video game addiction and
most prominent mental health authority for young people. When he’s
offline, he’s usually traveling, gardening, or grilling with his family.
Things you’ll learn from this episode
How to determine if your child has a gaming addiction, and why it’s important to trust your instincts
Why screen time limits and carrot
and stick approaches surrounding a child’s gaming is at odds with the
goal of raising a healthy gamer
Why children with ADHD are more susceptible to addictive behaviors surrounding gaming
The importance of engaging in open and non-judgmental communication
with your child about their gaming habits and the impact it has on their
life
How to shift to a holistic approach that considers overall well-being and goal-setting
Ideas for proactively creating healthy gaming habits with younger children
learn more at https://tiltparenting.com/session365
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