(Ben Gurr/The Times)

‘The problem is that my son sits in a darkened room all day and would happily sit there every day for the rest of his life,’ says the mother of gamer Andrew (Photo posed by model)

Anmar Frangoul

At first glance, Andrew’s room looks like any other messy 18-year-old’s. Posters of scantily-clad girls are plastered over the walls, his bed is unmade, and sports trophies jostle for space on his shelves. But look closer. Cans of Red Bull are stacked on top of a fridge. Dirty plates litter the floor. It is a bright morning yet the black curtains are tightly drawn. Two computer screens are running, a laptop and cables are strewn across the bed, and there is a background drone of two PC towers. Andrew rarely ventures outside the house. His weight has ballooned to 25 stone and his mother brings him meals on a tray. He will play online games for 48 hours straight if he feels the need.Seventy per cent of UK households are connected to the internet and 77% of young people between the ages of 16 and 24 log on every single day. Children are using computers at a younger age than ever — over 8m have access to the internet. Kids start by watching CBeebies; a few years later they’re playing Call of Duty.

According to Some Research, a market-research company that focuses on technology, there are 16.7m “active” gamers in the UK. Most of them, of course, come to no harm at all. But next time you see your son, daughter or flatmate glued to a video game, take a keener interest. Have they eaten properly, washed themselves, been to the toilet? Do they respond when you speak, and calmly switch off when they are asked to do so? If the answer to any of these questions is no, they may have a problem. A 2007 study published in the journal CyberPsychology and Behavior, by Mark Griffiths, professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University, found that one in nine gamers displayed at least three signs of addictive behaviour. … Continue reading