Lockdown sparks surge in kids addicted to gaming with scores of children treated for ‘disorders’
THOUSANDS of kids got hooked on gaming in lockdown, after finding virtual life more exciting than the real thing, The Sun on Sunday can reveal.
The NHS opened a National Centre For Gaming Disorders last year and we have obtained figures showing scores of teens were referred for addictions to games including Fortnite, Minecraft, Call Of Duty and Forza.
The London centre even turned away some under-13s, deemed too young to treat.
Psychologist and addiction expert Adam Cox, who is not connected to the new centre and runs his own clinic in London’s Harley Street, believes the problem can be traced back to lockdown.
He said: “Virtual life was more exciting and rewarding than real life for many people.
“There were far fewer recreational options, while a lot of games have connectivity with friends — so they became an important way to communicate with people we could not see in person.
“Video games were not just about providing the usual excitement, adrenaline and dopamine hit, but also about a sense of community.
“We had scores of referrals for those aged 13 to 15 in the past year.”
TOO YOUNG TO TREAT
Thirty-eight gamers were referred to the new London centre in the six months to June 2020. Of those, 22 were referred directly by anxious parents, 13 by GPs and three admitted themselves.
Three gamers hooked on battle royale game Fortnite were under 13 so were too young to treat.
A further 16 aged 13 to 15 needed help for addiction to Minecraft, Fortnite or Call Of Duty.
Another 12 aged 16 to 19 were addicted primarily to Call Of Duty, a military shoot-em-up, and League Of Legends, a fantasy-strategy game with millions of online players worldwide.
Seven were aged 20-plus, playing Assassin’s Creed, Minecraft, Overwatch, Apex Legends and casino games.
Sarah Carroll’s son Ashton, 13, got hooked when lockdown began in March.
The 34-year-old mum told The Sun on Sunday: “He had an Xbox before lockdown but hardly used it. He was always out on his bike with friends or playing pool in his spare time.
“But when he couldn’t go out, the only way he had to talk to his friends was through Fortnite or [racing game] Forza.
“He didn’t have much schoolwork, as it took about six weeks for the school to set up Zoom calls. But by then he was already gaming for more than 12 hours a day.”
Busy working from their home in Maidenhead, Berks, Sarah, an executive assistant, and her salesman husband realised how serious the problem had become when they got up one morning to find Ashton still playing — having not been to bed.
Sarah said: “He was so addicted, he was staying up all night then would go to bed in the morning until lunchtime.
He became rude, aggressive and angry. He wouldn’t go outside for days at a time
Sarah Carroll
“At first we let it go because he had nothing else to do and we felt sorry for him. But eventually his attitude changed.
"He became rude, aggressive and angry. He wouldn’t go outside for days at a time.
“He didn’t want to come downstairs for meals, would go days without a shower and I had to force him out of bed so I could change the sheets.
“My friends said their kids were the same but in August my husband and I became seriously worried that he would not be able to get up to go back to school.
“Luckily, he surprised us with how quickly he’s adapted back into his old routine.”
In 2018, the World Health Organisation classified any gaming disorder — defined as a pattern of persistent gaming behaviour so severe it takes priority over other life interests — as a mental health condition.
The NHS subsequently allocated funding to the problem for the first time, and the addiction centre, in Earl’s Court, was opened in October.
At the clinic, psychologists give free counselling to gamers and their families.
Behavioural specialist Lorrine Marer last year said of Fortnite: “This game is like heroin. Once you are hooked it’s hard to get unhooked.”
And Prince Harry even called for a ban, arguing the game was “created to addict”.
Dr Cox added: “Many of these games have a ‘last man standing’ element, so it is hard to leave them.
“I’ve known children who become so psychologically and emotionally invested in the games, they would rather wet themselves than take a break.
'INTENSE EMOTIONS'
“Gaming becomes an issue when it starts interfering in real life and causing mood swings.
"These games can be very competitive and combative, and whatever state you are in when you play is the way you will continue to be when the game is stopped.
“These intense emotions can become so linked to the neural pathways that it’s not unusual for teens to dream about a virtual universe.”
And Dr Cox fears a second lockdown could cause a new spike in gaming addiction.
He said: “People will fall back into whatever strategies enabled them to cope last time. That’s a natural human tendency.”
Experts say millions of us are effectively addicted to the internet, with gaming a major part of the problem.
I’d eat with one hand so I wouldn’t have to take a break, and only shower every couple of weeks when the smell became noticeable to me
Dave Cooper
In 2014 just four people were referred for gaming addiction, according to UK Addiction Treatment Centres,
In 2017, it was 16. Now it is at least three times that number.
Earlier this year, a top English footballer voiced fears his addiction to Fortnite could ruin his career and end his relationship.
The unnamed star said he was playing for up to 16 hours a day and had skipped training because of marathon Xbox sessions.
He is not alone. Bristol IT worker Dave Cooper, 38, told us how he became addicted.
Obsessed with the sprawling fantasy role-playing game World Of Warcraft, Dave was surviving on just three hours’ sleep a night.
His fixation continued even when his wife-to-be was going through a miscarriage.
He said: “I was playing while my fiancée was suffering in the other room.
"I’d text her as I left work so she could log on for me, so I could start playing as soon as I got home. I wouldn’t log off again until four in the morning.
“I’d eat with one hand so I wouldn’t have to take a break, and only shower every couple of weeks when the smell became noticeable to me.
"I thought of it like any other hobby until the day my dad died and my first thought was how I could get my PC to his house so I could play while I took care of my younger brothers.”
Dave finally kicked the habit when his daughter Olivia was born in April 2011.
In the height of his addiction, Nick John, 28, from Liphook, Hants, would play sessions lasting up to 16 hours.
He said: “I wouldn’t bother taking a shower or getting dressed. I wouldn’t break for meals, just eat snacks in front of the screen.
Most read in News
"I lived alone and did shifts, so nobody knew how bad it was — although my friends said I was no fun as I had become too competitive.”
Nick was forced to break the habit when his work as an aviation engineering manager sent him to the Middle East, where he was unable to access his favourite game, League Of Legends.
Read More on The Sun
He admitted: “It would have been too embarrassing to ask for professional help.”
- Anyone wanting more information on gaming addiction can get help and support at or call 0203 131 0661. Lines are open 24 hours a day
An hour a day keeps the problems away
By Derek Brown, Gaming Editor
CAKE and crisps are ace. They are so great I’d like them for every meal.
But I don’t – and I don’t let my kids either.
Video games are brilliant, too. In fact, they are better now than at any time I can remember since I started playing Commodore 64 in 1984.
Online gaming is social, immersive and competitive in the same hooky way that real sport is addictive.
Fortnite isn’t my thing, I can’t help feeling like a grown man in a school playground.
My equivalent is the big boys’ version, Call Of Duty: Warzone, and, yes, it’s very addictive.
But we have a rule at home – you have allocated gaming time, usually an hour on weekdays and two on the weekend.
I use my weekday hour after my wife goes to bed at 9.45pm (we’ve been married 15 years, go figure). And here’s the thing, I enjoy gaming more when it’s restricted.
One final tip: Place a visible timer clock with an alarm next to the telly so the kids have to get up and put it off when their hour is up.
I don’t know why, but they moan less when you do that.
Happy gaming.
GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk
