Episode 40 of Gaming the System, Brought to you by Game Quitters - Improving Your Social Skills with Dr. Jay Berk PhDIn this episode I cover: Practical steps to make friends and improve your social skills How to navigate challenges such as ADHD and social anxiety Why it can be a challenge to quit gaming and focus on other areas of your life Resources: Guide to Video Game Addiction Game Quitters Forum How to Quit Gaming Want to find out more? Follow us on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Listen to more episodes 

Gaming the System

Improving Your Social Skills with Dr. Jay Berk PhD

The world is a social world and it's crucial that you have the skills necessary to navigate it. Often when you play video games excessively you can find yourself with poor or underdeveloped social skills, which are made even more challenging if you struggle with ADHD or social anxiety. So how do you practically improve your social skills and succeed in a physical world? We welcome Dr. Jay Berk PhD to share his insights.

Episode 39 of Gaming the System, Brought to you by Game Quitters - How to Stop Escaping into Video GamesIn this episode I cover: Why you use games to escape from your life What is the difference between healthy escape and unhealthy escape How you can stop escaping into video games and deal with your life instead Resources: Guide to Video Game Addiction Game Quitters Forum How to Quit Gaming Want to find out more? Follow us on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Listen to more episodes 

How to Stop Escaping into Video Games

Episode 38 of Gaming the System, Brought to you by Game Quitters - Dealing with Gaming NostalgiaIn this episode I cover: Why you get nostalgic about games How to practically overcome nostalgia and avoid going back to gaming Resources: Guide to Video Game Addiction Game Quitters Forum How to Quit Gaming Want to find out more? Follow us on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Listen to more episodes 

Dealing with Gaming Nostalgia

Episode 37 of Gaming the System, Brought to you by Game Quitters - Why Are Some Games More Addictive than Others?In this episode I cover: The 4 reasons why you get addicted to gaming The Game Quitters addiction model and how it can help you identify games you should avoid External and internal factors that contribute to a game's 'addiction score' Resources: Guide to Video Game Addiction Article on Why Games Are More Addictive than Others (+Addiction Model) Game Quitters Forum How to Quit Gaming Want to find out more? Follow us on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Listen to more episodes 

037 - Why Are Some Games More Addictive than Others?

Episode 36 of Gaming the System, Brought to you by Game Quitters - The #1 Habit to Start When You Quit Gaming.In this episode I cover: Why I hated journaling in the past How I've implemented it into my routine so that it has become effortless The benefits of journaling The best way to get started Resources: Game Quitters Forum How to Quit Gaming Want to find out more? Follow us on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Listen to more episodes 

036 - The #1 Habit to Start When You Quit Gaming

Kids are at home and uncertainty is in the air... how do you find balance with technology use without constantly fighting and being stressed?1) Get in the right mindset!Reframe this crisis as an opportunity for you and your family to develop a deeper connection.It might be painful at first, but don’t lose hope. Be prepared for bickering and decide how you are going to show up. We like the mantra, KFC: Kind, Firm, Calm.Some of you might need to relax your rules a little…Okay but don’t feel you have to or get pressured into having no rules.2) When it comes to screen time... focus on quality over quantity.Are you/they watching cat videos on YouTube or learning to code? Are they FaceTiming with a friend or scrolling through Instagram? Are they playing a game that makes them angry or laughing and having a good time with mates? Are they playing educational games? Doing courses?How they spend time on screens matters a lot more than "how much" time they spend on screens. And yes, sometimes, that even includes needing to watch a few cat videos on YouTube.3) Use this newfound time to build skills and learn!We always say we don't have time to read that book, do that course, clean that room, try that new hobby, pick up the guitar again, call that friend, write that book.Now you have it. Invest in yourself wisely. That doesn't have to be all day, but every day, do something to grow and push yourself forward. And encourage your family to do the same.This is a great opportunity for you to ask your tech savvy kids to teach you about the features on your phones or computers that you don't know.4) Get healthy!Work out a bit each day. Do it as a family. Put a yoga video on YouTube. Maybe break out the Nintendo Wii from the attic. Find time every day to do bodyweight exercises, stretch, meditate, get in shape! It will make staying home easier.5) Establish a routine.Maybe when you work. They do homework. You focus as a family for two hours and then take a break. Rinse and repeat as needed. This process is one day at a time. Use structure wisely to provide certainty.6) Have a family meeting!Gather everyone's input on what this experience has been for them and what they hope it to be over the next days, weeks, months. Let everyone have a voice!Just get it out on the table so you can begin to have discussions on finding a compromise that works for your family. This is a good time to discuss family values!If it starts get loud and confrontational, have everyone write their points and questions on index cards and go through them one at a time. Communicate expectations early and clearly.This is also a good time to discuss any emotions or fears that are coming up around the crisis. Remember that some people are more comfortable communicating in writing and not out loud.7) Establish "if then" consequences in writing.Don’t go overboard.. especially if they are not realistic for you to adhere to over the next few weeks. Consistency is probably more important than rigidity at this time.If this happens, then this happens. Standards are set and consequences are not surprises.8) YOU ARE THE ROLE MODELAre you using technology wisely? Are you scrolling Twitter for your 18th hour today stressed and anxious and passing that onto other family members? Are you focusing on your own self-care? Are you embracing new hobbies?Your capacity to be the best version of yourself at this time will be seen by others. Let your focus inspire them.9) NEED MORE HELP?We have a FREE FB group for parents to navigate gaming or digital overuse issues. Join here.

BONUS: How to Manage Gaming During the Coronavirus Pandemic

I couldn’t see myself spending more than a few hours on something like Solitaire, but if you put me in front of Dark Souls then it’s a disaster waiting to happen.At Game Quitters, we see the same names pop up over and over again when people are talking about the most addicting games.Modern video games are a far cry from the games of old. They’re no longer just intended to provide a few hours of entertainment. Gaming companies know exactly how to keep you hooked.They understand how often to reward you, how to tailor their game to specific people, and how to extract as much money as possible from their players.However, if games are designed to be addictive, does that also mean that certain games or genres are more likely to keep you hooked?Read our list of the most addicting games in the world.

035 - Are Online Games More Addictive than Offline?

How can you overcome cravings for video games?I've spent over 5 years battling with a video game addiction, and almost 1 year working with Game Quitters. I've learnt a lot about how to overcome certain problems in this time, and cravings are definitely at the top of the list for most common struggles.Here's what we cover in this episode: Understand why you have cravings; what needs are you missing out on Catch yourself in the moment Habit loop; trigger, action, reward Acknowledge, Accept, Action Change your environment Keep yourself occupied with other activities Be more social Mindset of momentum Also, make sure to stick around to the end for a special announcement!Thanks for watching, and if you enjoyed don't forget to leave a rating, review, and subscribe to the show. It really helps us out a lot!

034 - How to Overcome Cravings

Part of the Game Quitters network, GTS brings you everything you need to know about video game addiction, and how people have changed their lives after overcoming it. Each week James will be covering a range of topics from industry news and surprise mechanics to companies fighting back against gaming disorder.

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Gaming the System

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