CASE SCENARIO

A 16-year-old patient, H.C., presents to the clinic for a routine wellness examination. When I entered the examination room, the patient was playing a game on his portable gaming console. Having grown up playing the same series, I engaged him in small talk about this shared interest. The patient briefly glanced at me, then immediately returned to his game, stating he must “beat this level.” His parents then removed the gaming console and lightly scolded him before the visit officially began. Overall, H.C. is healthy, without significant medical history; however, he admitted to playing digital games for at least 6 to 8 hours daily. He reported that he rarely took breaks and did not engage in other hobbies. H.C.'s parents expressed concern that he was gaming too much, and they wondered what they could do to help him focus less on playing games and more on academics and future goals. As both a physician and player of video games, how can I help H.C. achieve a balance between gaming and other parts of life (eg, school, work, hobbies, social interaction, physical activity)?

COMMENTARY

The extended reach of the internet, technical innovations, improved device power, connectivity, and portability have allowed the video game industry to become increasingly accessible and profitable. More than 500 million gaming consoles have been sold to an ever-growing player base.¹ Meanwhile, mobile and personal computer gamers have regularly eclipsed more than 2 billion participants, 80 billion game downloads, and $100 billion in global revenue.^2,3 In 2025, nearly two-thirds of the US population (205.1 million) play video games, including 83% of Generation Alpha (ages 5 to 12) and 60% of adults (ages 18 and older).⁴ Although global data vary based on culture, demographics, and socioeconomics, increased online accessibility and global reach of consoles and devices indicate such numbers will likely increase in the future.²