PC addiction: when the computer becomes your kid's best friend

At first, Katharina (not her real name) only sat in front of her computer for a few hours at a time. But then she began to spend more and more time, always playing the same game. It wasn't long before her whole life revolved around the game.

"In the game, I could be a completely different person than I am in real life. I liked that," saysKatharina, now 20 and living in Berlin.

What Katharina didn't notice was that she wasn't just playing the computer game because she wanted to do so, but because she was addicted to it. She's not alone. Thousands of youths get so heavily immersed into computer gaming worlds that they lose control and become addicted.

Exact numbers are unknown. Studies provide different numbers. A study by the Criminology Research Institute of the German state of Lower Saxony found 3 per cent of male ninth-graders addicted to computer games. Another study by Berlin's Humboldt University found that 1.4 per cent of 12 to 19-year-olds are addicted to computers.

Oliver Bilke, the chief doctor at Berlin's Vivantes Clinic for Children and Youths, has seen numerous cases like Katharina's. In the spring of 2009, he introduced two special walk-in clinics for youths with computer problems.

But what can an ambulance do for a teenager with a computer problem?

"There are certain criteria for a gaming addiction, just like other addictions," explains Bilke. These include playing intensely, spending an increasing amount of time with the game, continuously thinking about the game and letting virtual relationships become more important that ones in the real world. Other signs include letting real-world duties slide in favour of the games and failed attempts to limit the amount of time playing, according to a gaming ward at the clinic of the University of Mainz.

Of course, not all addicts realize their problem on their own. "Usually, parents or grandparents are the first to notice," says Bilke. "At the clinic, we have an interview to see if we're really dealing with an addiction and whether the child is ready for a change."

Usually, patients are asked to keep a media journal, noting how much time they spend with which technical devices.

"Many aren't aware of how much time they really sit at the computer," says Bilke. But then they'll notice that the checked their emails in the morning, surfed and chatted in the afternoon and then played games all evening.

"It helps a lot of kids, just to identify their problem," says Bilke. Once they see the times in black and white, a lot of kids reduce their computer time themselves. But that's not always the case.

"Sometimes the gaming is compensating for fears, depression or concentration problems," he says. In those cases, therapy can help.

Those who can't break away from gaming can get admitted to the clinic. "We block all access to computer games and offer an intense therapy over weeks or months," says Bilke. "At the same time, we can work with the children on the root of their addiction and develop alternatives to gaming.