Video Game PLAY AND ADDICTION: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS

by Kourosh Dini

Video games are a powerful and growing force in our society, and children are spending more and more time planted in front of the television or computer. But as parents, you may be worried about how they affect your children.

* When does play become problematic?
* How does video gaming fit into the general community?

Containing a wealth of information, this valuable primer answers these and other questions related to video games. Kourosh Dini, MD, a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and gamer, has researched video gaming and presents a balanced and intelligent discussion on its advantages and disadvantages from a psychological standpoint.

This primer will help parents to:
* Gain an understanding of the allure of video games
* See how video games can provide positive growth
* Learn what to consider in assessing for addiction or problematic play
* Understand the draw of community and social networking within game worlds
* Consider the future of society and video games

Targeted to parents who want to know what's safe and what isn't for their children, "Video Game Play and Addiction" contains the information you need to help you navigate the twenty-first-century world of video games.

166 pages, Paperback

First published April 11, 2008

About the author

Writings

Kourosh Dini is the author of Creating Flow with OmniFocus: Mastering Productivity. As he is known to do many things, Kourosh has needed a tool and method by which he could wrangle it all. The book describes this process of wrangling in hopes that others will find such wranglings useful, too.

He has written Workflow Mastery: Building from the Basics which combines his thoughts on psychoanalysis, creativity, efficiency, and most importantly what it takes to develop mastery and meaningful work. The first edition, Workflow: Beyond Productivity, has won an eLit bronze medal in educational ebooks and a Quality, Excellence, Design Award.

He is also the author of Video Game Play and Addiction: A Guide for Parents, which helps parents navigate the benefits and potential detriments of video games and virtual spaces. The book has won a Mom’s Choice Award and a National Parenting Publication Award.

Education
Academics include Northwestern University as a part of the Integrated Science Program with a focus in the neurosciences. His medical degree and residency in adult psychiatry were obtained through the University of Illinois at Chicago. He pursued further studies in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Chicago. Kourosh also practices psychoanalysis having graduated from the Institute for Psychoanalysis, and maintains a private practice in Chicago involving therapy, meditation, and medication management.

Music
He has also played the piano since an early age, plays a synthesizer, pretends to play guitar, and whistles, usually in a garage or some other place with good resonance. He performs music weekly and has periodically spoken about meditation as Kourosh Eusebio in the virtual world of Second Life.

His blog, Musings on Mind, Music, and Technology, reflects his thoughts of this unique intersection as he continues a path of discovering mind and artistry through these media.