While video games may not melt your brain exactly — not taking breaks to eat may signal overkill.
And that is exactly what one mother dealt with when her son gamed for 48-hours straight.
Lilybeth Marvel shared how she started to become concerned about her son’s gaming addiction a few years ago when he began to stay late at an internet cafe in the Philippines.
Recent footage has now emerged showing the 37-year-old hand feeding her 13-year-old, Carlito Garcia, while he plays on the computer.
In the clip, the mother can be seen attempting to get her son away from the screen just long enough to give him breakfast.
Carlito then becomes upset and is not able to bring his hands off the keyboard while his mother feeds him.
Lilybeth can be overheard saying to Carlito:
“My poor child… here, eat now. You have so much money, it might take till tomorrow for you to get home. Are you still needing to pee? My goodness, just feel sorry for my child. You are so irritating.”
Carlito’s grandmother has become so worried about him that she started sending him vitamins so he does not become sickly.
Lilybeth is a massage therapist, and her husband, also named Carlito, is a security guard.
The parents have since taken their son out of school while they try to tackle the issue.
They admitted that banning their son from his console did not work as he always was able to sneak off to the internet cafe.
Lilybeth shared:
“My husband and I decided that he should stop schooling first because of his addiction. Now we’re trying our best to manage the situation but it is still difficult.”
Lilybeth shared how she had no choice but to bring him food while he plays.
She said: “I used to just nag about his online games. But that didn’t work. So I’m trying a different approach.”
“I try to make him feel that whatever is happening in his life, I am his mother who loves him and takes care of him.”
….is there such thing as a video game intervention specialist?
Not quite.
But according to WebMD, video game addiction is much like any addiction.
Clinical director of the Center for On-Line Addiction and author of Caught in the Net: How to Recognize the Signs of Internet Addiction — and a Winning Strategy for Recovery,Kimberly Young, PsyD, says:
“I’ve had so many parents call me over the last year or two, particularly about the role-playing games online. I see it getting worse as the opportunity to game grows – for example, cell phone gaming.”
“Research suggests gambling elevates dopamine,” Young shares — grouping gaming in the same category.
But brain chemistry is not the only factor when it comes to addiction.
“Even with alcohol, it’s not just physical. There’s a psychological component to the addiction, knowing ‘I can escape or feel good about my life.'”
To learn more on how to recognize the symptoms of video game addiction, click here.
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