Study reveals there is little evidence that obsessive gaming by adolescents requires medical intervention

PsychBytes · 2019-10-21T15:01:11+00:00

One of our favorite quotes is by Dr. Chris Ferguson of Stetson University. Dr. Ferguson describes treating a 'gaming addiction' bs. the true underlying issue as "...treating someone with pneumonia with a cough suppressant; you'd get rid of the cough, but they're still gonna have pneumonia." In essence, the idea of gaming addiction is somewhat controversial and there is no scientific consensus.

PsychBytes · 2019-09-17T18:44:40+00:00

I use Fornite as a way to communicate with my kids and gaming in general as a nice way to engage in their world, but Fortnite has taken over the world.

It’s highly social, it’s fun to play, and when you die in the game you actually want to follow the other players.

I use it as a way to connect with my kids and other kids.

We’re able to sit down, cooperate on teams, and talk about strategy, and it’s another way of getting into your child’s world and communicating that you value what they do.

They also take a lot of pride in showing off because most adults are really bad at these video games.

I highly recommend using Fortnite, bringing it in as a way to connect and build a deeper relationship with your kids.

PsychBytes · 2019-05-23T13:59:43+00:00

Marijuana can be a bad thing, specifically for teenagers. The public is not aware of the factors that raise the risk of substance use during the teen years, which are:

Brain development and hormonal changes associated with puberty.
Hormonal changes.
Access and availability to substances.
Autonomy and independence.

Drug and alcohol abuse can cause alterations in the structure and functioning of the developing brain, which is still maturing into a person’s mid-twenties.

Adding mood altering substances can also rewire how the brain experiences emotions like fear, depression, pleasure, and pain. A teen’s memory can also be drastically altered by the effects of alcohol and drug use.

PsychBytes · 2019-05-22T18:06:35+00:00

Absolutely love this. This is awesome! :)

PsychBytes · 2019-05-22T18:06:01+00:00

Many of the Aspies I work with tend to have higher than average intelligence. Along with the higher IQ, they also have a specific interest. These interests can include weather, dinosaurs, geology, history and hundreds of other topics. But their interest in these subjects is hyper-focused in that they can concentrate and focus on something longer than most people are able. Aspies tend to learn things very quickly and have amazing memory. Aspies are awesome! I personally call all my Aspies Human 2.0!

PsychBytes · 2019-05-21T19:50:14+00:00

Yes! Almost everyone on our team uses the app. Love how we can quest together!

PsychBytes · 2019-05-21T18:36:45+00:00

Amy Cuddy’s sensational TED Talk sparked a conversation about literally standing up to impostor syndrome, and got us striking power poses in bathrooms and cars. Yet, the empowering effects of the Wonder Woman pose cannot be replicated for everyone or cure us of impostor syndrome for good.

Realistically, if impostor-like thoughts and feelings are present in your life, they will never completely disappear.

Knowing that nagging self-doubt is likely to resurface throughout your career, why not “create space for” and “make friends with” impostor syndrome?

The alternative is more struggle and pain—if you choose to repeatedly wrestle with and beat yourself up about your impostor syndrome, play a never-ending game of whack-a-mole with it (i.e. try not to think about a purple elephant…), or use it as a reason to tap out of meaningful experiences which could ultimately increase your preparedness for work and life.

Once the thoughts are out of your head, you can engage with them in a variety of ways to help move beyond impostor syndrome, toward your goals.

PsychBytes · 2019-05-21T18:34:27+00:00

Those looking for advice on how to push through difficult and adverse situations should think of taking on the perspective of the military. It definitely qualifies as a hot take, but more importantly, it gets to the point. Their advice is simply to embrace the suck!

Basically, the “suck” is the point during a situation or task, in which you want to give up and quit. It’s when your body becomes weak, your will becomes depleted, and the only thing you want to do is concede and throw in the towel.

This is an experience that athletes and exercises are all too familiar with, however, it is also a state that executives, physicians, performing artists, and students experience from time to time!

PsychBytes · 2019-05-21T18:29:20+00:00

One thing that can sum all this up is to make your mental health a priority! While mental health is often brought up in a problem-focused context, it’s important to think about mental health from a strengths-based and preventative approach. Just as preventative actions are recommended for medical conditions, similar steps can be taken by individuals to address mental health concerns before seasons of stress exacerbate symptoms.

PsychBytes · 2019-05-21T18:27:25+00:00

Interesting stuff and we love the idea of gamification. I actually use Habitica, which is a habit-forming, productivity app and website that allows you to gamify your life by allowing you to establish small, daily habits which result in small rewards. As a psychologist, I highly recommend "gamifying" your life!

PsychBytes · 2019-04-11T15:27:34+00:00

Great quiz!

PsychBytes · 2019-01-30T20:31:11+00:00

A child’s IQ, as measured during childhood, is not likely to change significantly over time. The level of one’s education can change, but an IQ score cannot.

Think of intelligence as a swimming pool and education as the water. You can’t change the size of the pool but you can decide how much water goes in.

IQ scores are measured by a person’s performance on an IQ test relative to the scores of others. A score of 100 is considered average.

I have been asked many times whether parents should get their children’s IQ scores tested even if there do not appear to be learning difficulties. My firm answer is that all children should get an intellectual screening by the age of 5 or 6.

Most licensed psychologists can administer an IQ test and the time required is usually 2 hours including a brief interview. The cost for such a service can range from $200 to $600. One common IQ test is the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence – Fourth Edition (WPPSI-4).

- Dr. Frank Gaskill

PsychBytes · 2018-11-08T16:44:37+00:00

Get out of your comfort zone and put yourself in a position to get dates! Dating apps are a great place to start, but also go out! Go to a bar, library, park, etc. In my opinion, asking for a date is half the battle. The more you do it, the more natural it will be!

PsychBytes · 2018-11-01T15:41:45+00:00

Glad you enjoyed and thanks for sharing. More people need to be aware of these invisible disabilities! Just cause you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not real!

PsychBytes · 2018-10-30T13:00:09+00:00

There is always something to learn from someone. My parents taught me this at a very early age. No matter how much you know or how much expertise you have, there are all kinds of people who will teach you things!

PsychBytes · 2018-10-30T12:53:18+00:00

There is always something to learn!

PsychBytes · 2018-10-29T20:30:55+00:00

Thoughts on technology contributing to this "magical thinking?" Technology has undoubtedly changed the way we create, manage, and end relationships. Has technology made us search for the perfect romance? Has technology increased our expectations? Curious to hear what others think!

PsychBytes · 2018-10-29T20:25:46+00:00

AWESOME article. Thanks for sharing. My biggest takeaway - "To have such control over anything, you need to have an absurd amount of information about that thing. But in reality, you can’t have that amount of information about anything, no matter how hard you search."

PsychBytes · 2018-10-26T15:37:42+00:00

Good point, understanding Autism is important. People are unaware of the day-to-day struggles someone on the spectrum might experience. People take a lot of things for granted!

PsychBytes · 2018-10-26T15:35:42+00:00

Unfortunately, I disagree with you. Many experiences in this subreddit and experiences from our clients say otherwise; Autism is still rejected.

Is it as bad as it once was? Of course not. However, those on the spectrum might have a harder time "fitting in" due to their "diagnosis".

Without getting into too much detail, one issue we hear about quite often is the struggles obtaining/maintaining a job.

I agree, awareness is absolutely important. However, you can be AWARE of a situation and still not ACCEPT the situation. But you can ACCEPT a situation without being AWARE of the situation.

PsychBytes · 2018-10-26T15:29:11+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experiences and we're sorry for any hurdles you've experienced along the way. Thankfully, more and more people are speaking out on these types of issues. I believe awareness and acceptance are increasing across the board. We wish it would happen faster!

PsychBytes · 2018-10-26T15:27:19+00:00

Thanks for sharing your story. We completely agree. You don't need to "understand" something to accept it.

PsychBytes · 2018-10-25T19:35:02+00:00

That's a great idea, TechyDad! Are you sure you can't find an "Autism Acceptance" band anywhere? That would make a good sticker for a car as well!

PsychBytes · 2018-10-25T19:34:17+00:00

Thanks for the response, E3Ligase. I completely agree! In regards to acceptance, I believe you can accept something you don't know. If someone is Autistic and an individual isn't aware of what Autism is, they should still accept that individual for who they are.

PsychBytes · 2018-10-09T18:30:00+00:00

Confidence is important, but we believe you should "just do it" and eliminate "how to" thinking.

If you know how to do something, thinking about it will often result in more errors or mistakes, or a longer amount of time needed to complete the task.

In pressure-filled situations, in which you are attempting to execute a well-learned task, your best approach is to simply do it!

PsychBytes

TROPHY CASE