The Brain on Video Games

Have you ever noticed that your child responds differently to you when they are playing games on their tablet or console, or even after they have stopped playing? Your child might seem more irritable, less cooperative, or refuse to stop playing the game. Why does this happen, and how can we help children transition from the world of games back into reality?

Put very simply, games are designed to keep the player engaged. The best way for games to do this is to use an "intermittent reward" system. At the beginning of the game, the player is able to progress relatively easily and frequently. Early success encourages the player to keep playing. Once the player is hooked, the difficulty of the game increases just enough for the player to think that they will win on their next attempt. Then, just when the player thinks the game is getting too difficult, the game then lets the player progress. The achievement gives the player confidence that they are getting better at the game. This is where it gets tricky: the game never gets as easy as it was the first time the player experienced it. The actual novelty is gone after the difficulty increases. From that point on, by design, players are chasing the memory of the early success and fun the game provided the first time they played.

There are three areas of the brain the game is targeting: The amygdala, the hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex. These are all part of the brain's reward center. The amygdala receives sensory information related to pleasure. It lights up at the novelty and positive feedback the game provides in the beginning. The hippocampus is thought to play a role in storing memories. The amygdala signals the hippocampus to store the initial memory of the positive feelings and novelty. When the hippocampus recalls that memory after the difficulty of the game is increased, the amygdala doesn't perceive the feeling to be as bright or as novel as it was the first time. In response, the amygdala becomes hyper-focused on attaining the good feeling, changing the priority of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for self-control and future planning. When the prefrontal cortex is turned off, there is no moderator for the brain. The amygdala has taken over and is chasing the good feeling. After your child has played a video game, their brain is still focused on the goal of attaining the positive feedback the game provided.

The graphic below illustrates this process. The amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex are referred to the animal, memory, and hero, respectively. 

We can teach our children how their brains work and remind them before they start playing, that they can expect to feel irritable and not want to stop playing the game. Before they start playing, communicate that you will set a timer when there are five minutes left and when they hear the timer, it will be time to turn off the game. Remind your child when you set the timer. When the timer goes off, the loud beeping can be especially effective if the child has learned to tune out their name. The sound also serves to orient the child back into their present surroundings. Alternatively, parents can enable parental controls or a sleep timer on the tablet or console to turn off after a certain period of time. Afterward, offering your child sincere empathy in response their feelings of disappointment that it is time to stop playing provides an opportunity for connection. Emotionally attuning to your child- in combination with knowledge of what to expect before it happens- help facilitate regulation of their brain-- and yours! This applies not only in transitions related to gaming, but also in other common transitions a child experiences throughout the day. 

For further explanation, here is a link to a one-minute video that can help you explain the influence of the amygdala on the prefrontal cortex to your child.