Teens With Addictive Personalities
Let’s face it; we live in a world where there are numerous outlets for addictive personalities. One addiction is often replaced with another. Adolescents who stop using drugs often delve into other compulsions. They replace drugs with gambling, sex, cigarettes, Myspace, and yes, video game addiction. Case in point: I recently read an article about a 13 year old Italian boy who was rushed to the hospital for treatment of stroke-like symptoms. He was diagnosed with “PlayStation Addiction.” Apparently, after a marathon session of a game called Mega Man, the boy overdosed on the stimulation he experienced while playing the video game. When he returned from the hospital, he begged his father to throw the game console into the trash to avoid any future calamities. This story reminds me of the importance of structure in a teenager’s life. As parents, we need to set boundaries with our kids, because too much of anything can go terribly wrong.
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