More Australian kids have gaming disorders as parents are urged to manage screen time

Increasing numbers of children are choosing to live like a recluse, spending most of their time online. See if your child is at risk and how to help them.

Exclusive: Increasing numbers of children are choosing to live like a recluse, spending most of their time online and unable to see the point of real life friendships, a psychologist is warning.

Parents are being urged to put strategies in place to limit screen time and encourage face-to-face interaction in the upcoming school holidays, to protect their children’s health and wellbeing.

It comes as a group of respected Australian psychiatrists and psychologists specialising in video gaming, technology and associated behavioural difficulties have formed the Australian Gaming & Screens Alliance (AGASA) to call on the government to take action after the amount of time kids are spending online got a “lot worse” during Covid.

One of the members, Director of the Screens and Gaming Disorder Clinic Brad Marshall, said the number of kids who are socially isolated is increasing.

His joint research with Macquarie University published in March this year found three per cent of Aussie kids – or 120,000 – have Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and 400,000 have a problem with internet use.

A recent UK study found that more than half of 11 to 18-year-olds spend most of their spare time in their bedrooms, with fears it could be leading to a new phenomenon – the teenage recluse.

“I see kids that think they don’t need ‘In Real Life’ friendships,” Mr Marshall said.

“They think social in-person friendships are overrated and we are all boomers for thinking that way.”

Director of the Screens and Gaming Disorder Clinic Brad Marshall Brad Marshall. Picture: Supplied

Mr Marshall said since Covid he has noticed more kids with unhealthy gaming habits are pushing their parents to allow them to be homeschooled.

“Before Covid most parents would have said no, but these days because parents have seen it is possible, they are saying yes,” Mr Marshall said.

He said nine out of 10 times homeschooling doesn’t work for this cohort of kids, as they use the time to game and then in the holidays they have no social contacts to draw on.

Mr Marshall said parents can’t blame kids for wanting to go online, as the games and algorithms have been designed to be addictive.

But they must limit their children’s screen time, with anything more than three to five hours of a day, including TV, YouTube and phone use, having a negative impact.

A US study found that more than seven hours a day causes children’s brain cortex to thin prematurely, normally associated with ageing memory loss and cognitive impairments.

Child psychiatrist Dr Kim Le from Adelaide, and another member of AGASA, said most parents have no idea how damaging screen use is for their kids’ health.

He said that Australia should look to China, where children are not allowed to game for more than three hours a week, and it is strictly monitored by the government.

Child psychiatrist Dr. Kim Le.

“This virtual world is like a virtual Disneyland,” Dr Le said.

“It’s a virtual Disneyland that never closes.”

He said at a basic level screen time can interfere with sleep, relationships, appetite, exercise and getting enough sunlight.

He has seen cases where children have been referred to him because they are soiling themselves, but only because “they are playing Minecraft and don’t realise they need the toilet”.

“The government needs to step in to protect people and regulate how the games are designed,” Dr Le said.

Perdie Bailey observes her daughter Maisie, 13, on the laptop. Picture: Ian Currie

Perdie Bailey, mother of Maisie, 13, said screen time was always limited to a couple hours a day in her family.

“It never used to be allowed in the morning. Now that they are older they have to look at them in the morning to see their class schedules,” she said.

“They only got phones when they hit year 7 and they needed them.”

“It’s best to start the routine early; it’s hard to manage it when they are in too deep.”

If you are a child and need help, contact Kids Help Line on 1800 55 1800.

If you are a parent, try one of the helplines for parents across Australia.