Gambling and excessive gaming: Studies reveal what your teen is getting up to online
Is your teenager “doing their homework in their bedroom”? They might be – but they’re also doing something else, experts say.
Parents used to worry about their kids being out on the streets. Now we stress about what they might be up to in their bedrooms.
Here are some insights from two studies about teenagers and their online habits.
Gambling
Parents don’t like their teenagers gambling, but are relieved they are at least not being bullied or taking drugs, a study has found.
Researchers from Central Queensland University surveyed 1185 parents – two thirds of whom were mothers – and found most disapproved of their teenagers aged 12 to 17 gambling.
Parents said around 27 per cent of their children had taken part in at least one form of monetary gambling in the past 12 months, including buying instant scratch tickets (10.2 per cent), buying lottery tickets (10.0 per cent), sports betting (7.8 per cent), betting on Keno (7.0 per cent), bingo (6.9 per cent) and race betting (6.8 per cent).
Around a third had also participated in simulated gambling online, with 20 per cent playing video games with gambling-like components followed by 15 per cent purchasing loot boxes with real money.
However, when parents were asked to rank their most serious concerns overall, bullying was their biggest worry, followed by drugs, depression and anxiety, too much time online and unsafe sex.
On average, gambling ranked 11th out of the 16 issues, and playing games with gambling like features was the lowest issue of concern.
Lead researcher Cassandra Dittman said adolescents “are growing up in a societal landscape in which gambling is normalised, fostering positive attitudes, greater interest, and increased knowledge of gambling”. This was enabled by parents, with two-thirds of mums and dads gambling with a teen present.
“These findings suggest that public health strategies to prevent adolescent gambling should build parental awareness of gambling and its risks and harms,” Dr Dittman said.
Video game addiction
In other research findings, a Hong Kong study has revealed 31 per cent of school students played internet games for five or more consecutive hours in the past month.
Among boys, adjusting for age and gaming time, binge gamers showed higher internet gaming disorder, depression, anxiety, stress, and poorer sleep quality than non-binge gamers, the study of 1404 boys and 1188 girls showed.
Among girls, binge gamers also showed higher internet gaming disorder, depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness, plus lower educational self-efficacy, sleep quality, and social support than non-binge gamers.
Clinical psychologist Dr Alan Ralph, Triple P International head of training, said gaming, “when done in moderation, can have a positive impact on children’s social connections and present opportunities for learning”.
“However, gaming can also have negative impacts on kids’ mental health and wellbeing, especially if they’re exposed to bullying-type behaviours, receiving or being asked to send nudes or sexual information, and/or were exposed to potentially harmful content like pornography or violence,” he said.
“Too much time spent gaming (or on screens in general) can lead to problems with sleep, behaviour, as well as social and emotional development. Children’s developing brains need exposure to a wide range of stimuli, particularly interactions with others in real-world settings. Getting the balance right is critically important during these impressionable years.”
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Originally published as Gambling and excessive gaming: Studies reveal what your teen is getting up to online
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