The growing problem of video game addiction in young people today

Known through heavily publicized cases in South Korea, which had led to controversial government action, video game addiction has prompted many people to take action against keeping children and adolescents from spending too much time in front of a video screen.

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The growing concern with video game addiction comes from the striking prevalence of gaming in the lives of young people at present. There are cases where children and adolescents would rather neglect personal hygiene and their basic physical and social needs, often to the detriment of both the players and their families, in favor of playing video games.

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This phenomenon, sometimes called poopsocking from the alleged behavior of players defecating in objects like socks to continue playing, is heavily documented and has entered the public consciousness as an omnipresent danger that faces gamers, although it is yet to be recognized by the American Psychological Association.

Although extreme cases like this are rare, the deaths that result from an unwavering commitment to video gaming has prompted game developers to encourage their players to stop playing on occasion. Parents and guardians are also encouraged to take the necessary action to keep their children from playing too much at the detriment of their health and wellbeing. There must be firm but reasonable limits to how much game time children are allowed.

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As with many things, playing video games too much is unhealthy. While a few game sessions are acceptable, children and adolescents should also be encouraged to go outside and entertain themselves with healthy physical activities.

Aspen Education Group is committed to improving the quality of life of young people and their families through education and therapy for students with behavioral problems. Visit this website for more information.

On disciplining a child: Spanking versus nurturing

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A study by Tulane University professor Catherine Taylor showed that if a person has been spanked more than twice a month on a consistent basis during his childhood, the odds of him growing up as an aggressive, dominant, easily-fumed, and depressed man is highly probable.

Murray Strauss, the co-director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire, moreover, says that kids who experienced spanking from their parents as part of a disciplinary feat enforced at their homes have a big chance of ending up as grown-ups who like forcing their partners into having masochistic sex.


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On two different kinds of parents and the right thing to do
Some parents just can’t imagine having a conscious thought of inflicting physical pain to their kids. Opposing the common belief that a child has to feel pain to understand why he’s wrong, these parents use a reward system instead to discipline their child. In this kind of parenting, good behavior is equivalent to a new toy or a trip to a zoo, while the bad one is followed by a mild yet serious one-on-one admonishment.

Thinking that a calm scolding is ineffective, and having had an experience of being ignored by their kids whenever they choose not to recourse to “spanking,” some parents would just resort to hitting their child when they lose patience and composure—or when their child refuses to do what is right.

But what really is the “right” thing to do?

Parenting experts and child doctors would surely say the same thing: If parents care for their children, they will not hit them; instead, parents will spend time to listen to them to understand their feelings and know what they want and need.


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Involving parents on their children’s growth is one of the many advocacies of Aspen Education Group. The organization’s website provides more information on parenting.