Everything in moderation. My daughter plays games, but she also hangs with her friends and plays club sports. She has a phone and only uses it during school hours – as soon as she gets home her phone goes on charge and stays there until the following morning. I have access to all her social media so can keep tabs if need be.

Don’t let the kids have any access to such devices at all. If they genuinely need a mobile phone for emergencies it is possible to put in the only numbers they are allowed to call, receive calls from, and texts the same, and BLOCK everything else. I know parents who did it to their child’s phone. The method definitely works

Doesn’t seem like they are building a good future and missing out on so much during their developmental years.

How terrible – can’t imagine these youngsters having much fortitude against gambling or alcohol addition later in life.

Addiction to gaming must be extreme as most kids game to some extent

My girls are nearly 12 and 8, they game – in actual fact they love gaming – individually or together on multiplayer games – are they addicted to it – quite possibly – do I have control over their gaming usage – YES I DO – I make the call on when enough is enough and they have to do what we (as parents) advise/tell them to do. So if my girls have been on it for a lengthy period I make them get off it and do something else, go out side, read a book, etc etc –

Unfortunately parents seem to forget that they are in charge and set the rules, kids nowadays just expect to be able to do what they want when they want and it is up to us to teach them that life isn’t like that and you have to give and take to get what you want.

This is terribly sad! I don’t understand the addiction to gaming, but it must indeed be strong if everything else is neglected. Hope support is given and the addiction treated.

To remove a child from their parents because of a gaming addiction goes too far from me. It would be better to teach the parents and the child healthy habits and good parenting strategies, if needed by family counseling / full family admission to a rehab clinic.

Children have so much access to electronic devices these days. My great nephew wanted Forite and my son helped to load it on as his parents could not figure it out. Asked mum first, he nearly took it off as his cousin’s behaviour was really bad. Before my son left their house after staying for a few days, he asked again but my niece sad no. He is five years old and wanted the game his cousins have. He slapped his mother when she turned the tv off, This is a boy who lives mainly outside on a 20 area property.

If parents went back to parenting instead of using the game console as a babysitter all would be well

Very scary but sounds exactly like my partners nephew he is addicted only problem is his father doesn’t want him on the gaming but his mum backs him and says it ok and leave him to the point she blames her husband and says he doesn’t do anything with there son to the point they are separated and thinks he might do more with there son go figure that one out some parents find it easier as they aren’t having to deal with there children
It’s pretty bad that kids these days are spending so much time on computers

This is scary definitely don’t want my kids gaming.

Crazy!

Wow. It’s just astonishing that parents can let this happen.

That’s crazy!

Absolutely terrifying. But is the parent’s fault!

So sad to read the children taken away and do they return to their homes is the question!