As families in Canada continue to struggle with a new reality forced upon them by the pandemic, many children and young adults have turned to video games for an escape. Screen time is now the default for millions and the temptation to play has never been greater. But how much is too much, and where is the line between hobby and addiction?

Calgary’s Cam Adair found himself in those circumstances a decade ago. His addiction to gaming spiraled out of control and he eventually lost his job and failed out of school. Things got so bad that he even considered suicide.

For parents who are concerned that their children might be gaming too much, video game addiction advocate Cam Adair tells W5 to watch out for these warning signs and ask these questions:

•  Does your child think about games even when they’re not playing?
•  Does your child feel restless, irritable, moody, angry, anxious, bored, or sad when they try to cut down or stop gaming, or   when they are unable to play?
•  Has your child felt they should play less, but are unable to cut back on the amount of time they spend playing games?
•  Has your child lost interest, or reduced participation in other recreational activities due to gaming?
•  Has your child been deceptive, or lied to family, friends, or others about how much they game? Or tried to keep their family   or friends from knowing how much they game?
•  Does your child game to escape from or forget about personal problems, or to relieve uncomfortable feelings such as guilt, anxiety, helplessness, or depression?

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