With the emergence of the new generation and personal mobile technology, playing online video game has become a daily routine of many adolescents in Canada. Popular types of online games include shooting, fighting, and puzzle games. According to Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) (2016), about 52% of Canadians are gamers, and the average gaming time is 11 hours per week. Over 90% of adolescents between 13 and 17 years old played video games every month (2013). Parents are worried about their adolescents’ overindulgence of in cyber gaming.

Parents are worried about the adverse impact cyber gaming may have on adolescents. Ironically, when they steer their youth away from cyber gaming, conflicts may arise, damaging the parent-child relationship.

When worrying about adolescent gaming behaviour, are the needs that underlying their behaviour being over-looked or neglected? What are the underlying psychological needs in adolescents’ gaming behaviour?

According to the theory of Stages of Psychosocial Development (Erickson, 1950, 1963), among the 8 stages of psychosocial development, those for adolescents are outlined as follows. Certain missions destined to be achieved in each stage in order for one to acquire self-growth and healthy psychological development.

Psychosocial Development Mission 1: Identity vs. Role Confusion

At this stage, adolescents seek self-value. They yearn to master a clear concept of self, and crave the sense of accomplishment and success. However, gaining a sense of accomplishment at school or in social life may be challenging for some. Through playing online video games, adolescents are gratified with the feeling of accomplishment when they break through different game stages and defeat powerful gaming characters. This instant gratification makes cyber gaming much more attractive to adolescents than homework.

Psychosocial Development Mission 2: Intimacy vs. Isolation

At this stage, adolescents build more intimate relationships with others. In the cyber world, gamers can always battle with different gamers and be connected with friends with similar interests. In real life, cyber gamers can also share a common topic with others in their social network. Some adolescents also become gamers due to peer pressure, for membership in the social conversation, or for fear of being left out.

Online games are undoubtedly very exciting. More importantly, they can effectively meet adolescents’ psychosocial needs. By understanding the importance of healthy psychological development for adolescents, parents can understand that concerns should not be around the online video games themselves, but how they could help adolescents better manage gaming time. Some tips for parent include:

• Explicit express understanding towards your children
• Try to understand the underlying needs and reasons of adolescents’ gaming behaviour
• Engage in ongoing communication with adolescents on establishing an optimal time of cyber gaming
• Guide adolescents in the discovery and development other activities to gain sense of accomplishment

Source of Information: Chinese Family Services of Ontario

時代轉變，電子遊戲已成為時下青少年消遣娛樂的必需品。最受歡迎的遊戲種類包括射擊、搏擊和砌圖，內容刺激好玩。可是，過度沉迷電子遊戲的狀況令不少家長擔憂。Entertainment Software Association of Canada (2016) 指出約有52 個百份點的加拿大人平均花11小時玩電腦和電動遊戲，更有數據顯示超過九成13-17歲年青人有玩電動遊戲的習慣。

作為家長，一方面擔心電子遊戲為青少年帶來負面影響，另一方面卻害怕在說服孩子遠離電子遊戲的誘惑時引發爭執矛盾，破壞和諧的親子關係。

家長們在擔心遊戲會對年青人有負面影響之前，有沒有想過他們打電子遊戲背後需要的是甚麼呢？ 青少年在打遊戲機背後其實隱藏著甚麼的心靈需要？

根據心理社會發展階段理論 (Erickson, 1950, 1963)，人生分成八個成長階段，青少年時期則處於以下兩個心理社會發展階段。在每個心理社會發展階段中，人需要完成一些任務才達致自我成長和人格發展。

發展任務一：自我認同與角色混淆

年青人在此階段會追求自我的價值，尋找明確的自我概念。他們希望得到成功感，假如在學業或其他社交生活未如理想，他們或會在其他地方尋找能力感。在網絡遊戲中，他們可以闖關或打敗大人物來賺取滿足感。加上不少遊戲需要扮演不同角色，讓他們探索自己的角色及定位，比起功課，更令他們沉迷。

發展任務二：親密與分離

在青少年階段，人傾向與其他人建立關係，與別人變得親近。從網絡遊戲中，玩家經常與不同人對戰合作，可以認識志同道合的朋友，在現實中又可以增加與朋友的話題，建立親密關係，因此在朋輩的影響下，他們亦會傾向玩相同的遊戲。

刺激好玩的遊戲的確吸引青少年，但更重要的是它能有效地滿足人格及心理社會發展，這才是青少年真正的需要。家長需要明白到玩樂對青少年心理健康發展的重要性，從而理解他們的擔心可能不是網絡遊戲本身，而是怎樣才能令子女可以學懂管理時間，在適當的時間下玩。以下是給家長的建議：

• 表達對子女的了解
• 在批評他們玩遊戲這個行為前先了解他們背後的需要
• 與子女協調理想的遊戲時間
• 發展子女其他能得到成功感的地方

資料來源：Chinese Family Services of Ontario 家和專業輔導中心