It’s easy to become addicted to playing video games, but the consequences of an addiction are very real and can be severe. Feeding a video game habit can lead to lying, stealing and sneaking around—none of which honor God. Here are 10 questions that may help you find out if you have a problem.
1. Do you lose all track of time when you play video games?
a. Yes
b. No
2. Do you sneak around to play games?
a. Yes
b. No
3. Do you lie about the amount of time you spend playing?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Have you ever stolen a credit card to use on a video game website?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Do you find yourself thinking about video games during the day?
a. Yes
b. No
6. Have other things in your life become unappealing?
a. Yes
b. No
7. Have you neglected homework, been mean to family members or missed social functions because a video game seemed more important?
a. Yes
b. No
8. Do you play video games to help you feel better?
a. Yes
b. No
9. Have you ignored God in order to spend more time playing video games?
a. Yes
b. No
10. Are you proud of how you manage your time?
a. Yes
b. No
If video games have earned a big place in your life, it may be time to make a few changes. It’s important to recognize the distractions in our lives that keep us from spending time with God and take steps to protect our hearts from an addiction.
To protect yourself from becoming obsessed with video games, follow these steps:
1. Tell God about your desire to change. He is trustworthy and will help you (see Psalm 28:7).
2. Talk about it with your parents. Ask them to help you stay on track.
3. Make some changes. For example, set a timer for 30 minutes while you play video games and shut down the system when the timer goes off.
4. Explore new hobbies, such as bike riding, photography or learning how to watercolor.
