Online gaming addiction
Assessing online gaming addiction in
children and adolescents is relevant for several
reasons. With regards to developmental
psychopathological findings, it appears that
addictions tend to have precursors during
adolescence (Griffiths, 2011). Also, it is
relatively common that most dependencies
develop in early adulthood (Griffiths, 2011).
Therefore, prevention efforts must be
established that target adolescents who have
their first experiences with addictive substances
and behaviours during puberty. Parental
influence is diminished whereas the peer group
gains more importance. Peer pressure may lead
to a variety of problems that may result in the
development of pathological behaviours, such
as chemical and behavioural addictions
(Wˆlfling & M¸ller, 2009).