Online gaming

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Playing games online, either by yourself or with a group of friends, can be a lot of fun.

Gaming and depression

If you’re spending more time than usual gaming, ask yourself why. Are you feeling sad, irritable, or upset? Is it more comfortable to be by yourself than with other people? If you are gaming because you feel sad or “down” or because it isolates you from your friends or family, it could be a sign that you have depression.

To learn more about depression and how you can get help, click here.

And with over 120 million gamers worldwide, online gaming is popular, too. But for some people, online gaming can become a problem. Here are some things to know:

  • The majority of Kids Help Phone users report spending about 5 to 10 hours a week gaming online.
  • There’s nothing wrong with gaming in moderation: gaming can be fun as long as it’s balanced with life offline.
  • Online gaming can be a problem if someone feels like they can’t stop playing, or their gaming is getting in the way of school, hobbies, or spending time with friends and family offline.

blue arrow to next pageIn this section, you can take a quiz to see if you’re gaming too much. You’ll also
learn how to get help if a friend or parent is spending a lot of time gaming.

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Last Reviewed June 2011 by the Kids Help Phone Counselling Team

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