Mobile Gaming Has Made Girl Spend R1.2 Million of Family’s Savings: Clinical Psyc Explains Addiction

• A teenage girl from China spent her family’s entire R1.2 million savings on mobile gaming
• Reports claim a teacher discovered the teens mobile gaming addiction, uncovering her wreckless spending
• The teen said she found the card at home and knew the pin as her mom gave it to her in case of emergency
• Clinical psychologist gives tips to parent for rectifying and preventing gaming addiction

Cellphones are a big issue with Gen Zs. One teenager in China reportedly blew through R1.2 million in her family'sfamily's savings on mobile games, and they are devastated.

While technology has made some undeniably positive changes to the world, it has also brought with it a lot of harm.

Teenage girl spends R1.2 million in family savings on mobile games

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IOL reported that the Chinese teen found a bank card lying around the house and decided to use it for her online gaming. She knew the password as her mother had given it to her in case of emergency.

The teen was caught by a teacher who was alarmed by how glued to her mobile phone the teen was, reported GH World News. It was uncovered that she had spent R323 163 on the games, R561 330 on in-game purchases, and R267 355 on games for 10 of her fellow pupils. Blowing her family's entire savings.

‘’When they asked me to pay for their games, I paid despite feeling reluctant,’’ explained the teen when her father questioned her.

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What happens to the family'sfamily's savings now?

The teen apparently knew nothing about the savings and was just mindlessly using the card, not taking into account how much she was spending.

As the money was spent, the family won't be able to recover it, leaving them in a heartbreaking predicament.

Clinical psychologist sheds light on mobile game addiction

Briefly News spoke to Candice Lambert, Mental Health advocate and Director at Kids Dialogue, to find out how parents can handle mobile gaming addiction and what measures can be put in place to prevent it.

She gave some invaluable insight and some amazing tips for parents to consider. Read below:

"There are pointers in terms of risks and how we as parents can develop protective measures for not only ourselves but our children as well!

"This idea of money being intangible to children and youth is normal, we have been using bank cards for many many years now and now our phones and apple watches can even make payments. The tactile sense of money is critical as it encourages us to deal with it differently and even spend in more conscious ways. Most parents never really make a conscious effort to teach children about money and the importance of saving, investing and spending wisely. So it’s critical to make money more of a tangible construct instead of an “invisible” one — like it currently is. Remember people, especially children learn through their senses and without understanding that money exists in a tangle form, it can quickly become something that 'just exists and that we don’t need to work for'.

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"The other idea is to create stories around its value but also in relation to the value of community, friendships, relationships.

"Situation: Mom goes to work to get money so we can put food on the table, or “Let’s make a money box or get a piggy bank and save 10% of what we get for pocket money."

"The last point feeds into this idea of responsibility with money and it’s value.

"Secondly, it is important for parents and children to have healthy boundaries. Boundaries on iPads and other electronic devices, and boundaries with spending. Boundaries are actually freeing for us. It sounds counter-intuitive but it’s a critical discipline in order for children to:

1. Understand the importance of boundaries and structures

2. Develop healthy expectations for boundaries and

3. For them to be able to form their own boundaries, even in relation to other areas such as body autonomy and hood and bad touches.

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"Thirdly, we have the issue of addictions. Electronic devices especially iPads and iPhones provide a dopamine boost and over a long period of time can lead to dopamine addiction. When we aren’t feeding our dopamine requirements in the form of an addiction, we get a letdown or a “crash” which then leads us to want to check our phones or get that dopamine neurotransmitter active again.

"Then, lastly, Lambert suggests that the issues we experience with over-usage of our iPhones or iPads, it begins to impact on our lives negatively. From a social perspective as well as our sleep cycles which could also lead to symptoms of anxiety or depression; affecting our daily performance at work or school.

"It is important to know when it is critical to use iPhones and iPad, such as for assignments, research or academic work. But to limit screen time for other activities."

Playing video games can earn you a decent salary: SA company offers R10k a month to test games

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In related news, Briefly News reported that South African gamers and petrolheads now have the opportunity to do what they love while earning a salary. A local car company, cars.co.za, is offering a R10k salary to test car simulations.

A lot of the time, gamers are shaded for spending endless hours behind a screen, being told they will amount to nothing and that games will not pay their bills. Well, well, well, look at them now.

Business Insider reported that cars.co.za is mapping the way for digital integration of the automotive industry into the ever-growing and evolving gaming sector.

Source: Briefly News