Video Games

Why Pokemon GO is so popular with your teen...

Delaney Ruston, MD
July 13, 2016
Pokemon go on phone

Pokemon GO is sweeping the nation. Kids (and adults) are running around trying to spot imaginary characters floating in the real world. It’s getting kids outside and moving but they are still looking down at their screens. This is a highly seductive game that has found a way to tap into the reward centers of teen’s brains. Some things to know about teen’s brains:

  • During adolescence is when a person is most susceptible to pleasure-producing behaviors and substances.
  • The part of the brain that is responsible for things such as planning and impulse control (the frontal cortex) grows slowly over the teen years and is not fully developed until our 20s.
  • MRI brain scans of people that play video games for about 20 hours a week show patterns similar to scans of people addicted to drugs.

Most of the kids out there are just having fun and exhibiting compulsive thoughts, not necessarily addictive behavior, but if you feel like your child is struggling with a game addiction this is what to look for:

  • obsessive thoughts
  • significant negative life consequences
  • withdrawal (i.e., being severely annoyed when not on a screen)
  • tolerance (needing more and more time)
  • using the activity to relieve anxiety or guilt

Distraction is a real problem with this game.  Whether they are walking without looking and then falling and bumping into things or using it while driving. this can be physically dangerous. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of teen death. According to the NHTSA "Ten percent of all drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes. This age group has the largest proportion of driv­ers who were distracted at the time of the crashes."

Please tell your kids to look up.  

Common Sense Media did a safety review and says:

“Playing the game, which appeals to a wide range of ages, involves various safety and security issues, including allowing the possibility of full access to your Google account (for players who log in via Google) -- though the developers are in the process of addressing this situation at the time of this review. Other risks include physical injury due to distraction, being directed to unsafe places or onto private property, and even becoming a target for assault or robbery (all of these things have already happened to players in the real world). A player's location is tracked, stored, and revealed to nearby players, including both children and adults.”

For those kids that are inside playing video games for hours, this is an improvement. But, for kids that are not generally seduced by games, this seems to be pulling them in too. Kids are already spending a huge number of hours on their devices. Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that boys spend about 1 1⁄2 hours a day on average playing video games, while girls spend on average about 40 minutes day playing video games. On the other hand, according to a Common Sense Media census, girls spend on average 1 1⁄2 hours a day on social media while boys spend about 50 minutes per day. One of the big questions is: does this replace the time youth spend on other games and social media or does it add to it?

What do you think?

As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel

Join
443
others who have made the pledge!
Thank you for making the pledge!
Please try again
Book page button

Available now - Parenting in the Screen Age, from Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD

Order Here
Find A screening Button

Find a Screening - Find a screening of our movies in your local community

Learn More

Screenagers Podcast - Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for the latest Podcast

Learn More
Book page button

Available now - Parenting in the Screen Age, from Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD

Learn More
Host a Screening Button

Community Screenings - Learn more about hosting your own Screenagers community screening event!

Learn More
Parenting In The Screen Age Book Cover

Free Book Preview - Download a free preview of "Parenting In The Screen Age" by Delaney Ruston, MD

Learn More

Join Today - Members can screen and view our movies year-round, access new lesson plans, resources and much more!

Learn More
Screenagers Under The Influence Banner

Our New Movie - Learn more about the third movie in the Screenagers Trilogy

Learn More

The Screenagers YouTube Channel - Subscribe for new videos and content from our team weekly!

Learn More
Host a Screening Button

Community Screenings - Learn more about hosting your own Screenagers community screening event!

Learn More
Find A screening Button

Find a Screening - Find a screening of our movies in your local community

Learn More
Screenagers Podcast

Screenagers Podcast - Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for the latest Podcast

Learn More
Book page button

Available now - Parenting in the Screen Age, from Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD

Learn More
Host a Screening Button

Community Screenings - Learn more about hosting your own Screenagers community screening event!

Learn More
Parenting In The Screen Age Book Cover

Free Book Preview - Download a free preview of "Parenting In The Screen Age" by Delaney Ruston, MD

Learn More

Join Today - Members can screen and view our movies year-round, access new lesson plans, resources and much more!

Learn More
Screenagers Under The Influence Banner

Our New Movie - Learn more about the third movie in the Screenagers Trilogy

Learn More

The Screenagers YouTube Channel - Subscribe for new videos and content from our team weekly!

Learn More
Book page button

Available now - Parenting in the Screen Age, from Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD

Order Here
Find A screening Button

Find a Screening - Find a screening of our movies in your local community

Learn More

Screenagers Podcast - Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for the latest Podcast

Learn More
Book page button

Available now - Parenting in the Screen Age, from Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD

Learn More
Host a Screening Button

Community Screenings - Learn more about hosting your own Screenagers community screening event!

Learn More
Parenting In The Screen Age Book Cover

Free Book Preview - Download a free preview of "Parenting In The Screen Age" by Delaney Ruston, MD

Learn More

Join Today - Members can screen and view our movies year-round, access new lesson plans, resources and much more!

Learn More
Screenagers Under The Influence Banner

Our New Movie - Learn more about the third movie in the Screenagers Trilogy

Learn More

The Screenagers YouTube Channel - Subscribe for new videos and content from our team weekly!

Learn More
Host a Screening Button

Community Screenings - Learn more about hosting your own Screenagers community screening event!

Learn More
Find A screening Button

Find a Screening - Find a screening of our movies in your local community

Learn More

Screenagers Podcast - Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for the latest Podcast

Learn More
Book page button

Available now - Parenting in the Screen Age, from Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD

Learn More
Host a Screening Button

Community Screenings - Learn more about hosting your own Screenagers community screening event!

Learn More
Parenting In The Screen Age Book Cover

Free Book Preview - Download a free preview of "Parenting In The Screen Age" by Delaney Ruston, MD

Learn More

Join Today - Members can screen and view our movies year-round, access new lesson plans, resources and much more!

Learn More
Screenagers Under The Influence Banner

Our New Movie - Learn more about the latest movie in the Screenagers Trilogy

Learn More

The Screenagers YouTube Channel - Subscribe for new videos and content from our team weekly!

Learn More
Video Games

Why Pokemon GO is so popular with your teen...

Delaney Ruston, MD
July 13, 2016
Pokemon go on phone

Pokemon GO is sweeping the nation. Kids (and adults) are running around trying to spot imaginary characters floating in the real world. It’s getting kids outside and moving but they are still looking down at their screens. This is a highly seductive game that has found a way to tap into the reward centers of teen’s brains. Some things to know about teen’s brains:

  • During adolescence is when a person is most susceptible to pleasure-producing behaviors and substances.
  • The part of the brain that is responsible for things such as planning and impulse control (the frontal cortex) grows slowly over the teen years and is not fully developed until our 20s.
  • MRI brain scans of people that play video games for about 20 hours a week show patterns similar to scans of people addicted to drugs.

Most of the kids out there are just having fun and exhibiting compulsive thoughts, not necessarily addictive behavior, but if you feel like your child is struggling with a game addiction this is what to look for:

  • obsessive thoughts
  • significant negative life consequences
  • withdrawal (i.e., being severely annoyed when not on a screen)
  • tolerance (needing more and more time)
  • using the activity to relieve anxiety or guilt

Distraction is a real problem with this game.  Whether they are walking without looking and then falling and bumping into things or using it while driving. this can be physically dangerous. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of teen death. According to the NHTSA "Ten percent of all drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes. This age group has the largest proportion of driv­ers who were distracted at the time of the crashes."

Please tell your kids to look up.  

Common Sense Media did a safety review and says:

“Playing the game, which appeals to a wide range of ages, involves various safety and security issues, including allowing the possibility of full access to your Google account (for players who log in via Google) -- though the developers are in the process of addressing this situation at the time of this review. Other risks include physical injury due to distraction, being directed to unsafe places or onto private property, and even becoming a target for assault or robbery (all of these things have already happened to players in the real world). A player's location is tracked, stored, and revealed to nearby players, including both children and adults.”

For those kids that are inside playing video games for hours, this is an improvement. But, for kids that are not generally seduced by games, this seems to be pulling them in too. Kids are already spending a huge number of hours on their devices. Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that boys spend about 1 1⁄2 hours a day on average playing video games, while girls spend on average about 40 minutes day playing video games. On the other hand, according to a Common Sense Media census, girls spend on average 1 1⁄2 hours a day on social media while boys spend about 50 minutes per day. One of the big questions is: does this replace the time youth spend on other games and social media or does it add to it?

What do you think?

As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel

More Like This

Video Gaming, What Works For Some And Not Others
April 5, 2022
Video Games

Video Gaming, What Works For Some And Not Others

Today I’m sharing two polar opposites stories of people’s choices around video gaming — extremes can be great conversation starters. One is from a kid who decided, on his own, to stop all video gaming essentially, and the other is about teens attending a high school that is 100% focused on video gaming and the video gaming industry.

READ MORE >
What's New And Noteworthy In The World Of Video Games
January 25, 2022
Video Games

What's New And Noteworthy In The World Of Video Games

Today I offer some intriguing stories related to video gaming, and I am confident you will want to discuss with others — even beyond just kids because data reveals that more and more people over 50 do some sort of video gaming. Do you know what Cozy games are?

READ MORE >
One Girl's Experience With Online Gaming And Strangers
December 21, 2021
Video Games

One Girl's Experience With Online Gaming And Strangers

Today I talk with an 11-year-old girl about what she likes about the popular gaming platforms Roblox and Minecraft, as well as some of the uncomfortable experiences she's encountered with strangers while playing video games … and what she's done in such situations.

READ MORE >

parenting in the screen age

for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.  

ORDER HERE
Parenting in the Screen Age book cover