Video game addictions cause mental health issues for children

Young children and teenagers who play video games frequently may be at higher risks for developing depression, a new study explains.

On top of depression risks, children also tend to have lower grades, less social skills, and may feel isolated from society.

For the study, more than 3,000 children were analyzed based on video gaming habits, in attempts to determine potential risk factors for developing issues that stem from playing video games.

It was found that those who spent the most time video gaming also had lower social skills than casual video game players. Additionally, those playing the most video games were also at the highest risks for becoming addicted to video games.

Many children turn to video games as an escape from society. However, the children already suffering from mental health issues, noticed decreases in depression and anxiety symptoms, and with excessive video game playing, also lowered social skills.

Experts explain the necessity for mental health experts to assist and potentially prevent video game addictions from materializing.