MYRTLE BEACH, SC (CBS)- According to a new survey from CS Mott Children’s Hospital, the amount of time teens spend playing video games is growing.
Teens spend about three hours a day with a controller in their hands. Dr. Gary Freed of CS Mott Children’s Hospital in Michigan says excessive gaming can have real consequences.
“They may interfere with sleep, they may interfere with interactions with their peers, interactions with family members and homework as well, ” said Freed.
“If gaming gets in the way of sleep it can have a lot of issues related to disturbed moods because of sleep deprivation.”
The survey found that boys are more likely to play video games every day than girls.
Freed said if they are going to try and limit the amount their teens are spending playing video games, parents need to make sure they communicate well with them about why they think it’s important. Another strategy parents can consider is to play some games with their teens.
Experts say there’s no magic number for how much time teens should spend playing video games.
Parents can better understand the games their kids are playing while also being able to have fun in the process.