Video Game Addiction Attorneys in Jacksonville, FL

Has Your Child Become Addicted to Video Games?

For years, parents have worried that some video games might be addictive to children and their developing minds. New psychological studies from around the globe show that there seems to be some truth behind their worries. Also, many new games include gambling-like mechanics that encourage children to spend their parents’ money for a randomized in-game reward, which only lends further to the risk of addiction.

At Edwards & Ragatz, P.A. in Jacksonville, our trial lawyers can help you stand up for your family if your child has become addicted to playing video games to the point that it disrupts their schoolwork, health, and happiness. With our 150+ years of experience and ample resources, we are capable of challenging any video game developer or studio in court for our clients.

Many of the biggest video game studios in the world have been recently accused of making intentionally addictive video games that target children, including:

• Epic Games
• Activision Blizzard
• Roblox Corporation
• Rockstar Games

The Judicial Council of California has recently approved the consolidation of video game addiction lawsuits into one Judicial Council Coordinated Proceeding (JCCP). This consolidation might be able to include video game addiction lawsuits from clients across the country, including in Jacksonville, Florida. To see if you can file an individual lawsuit or qualify for participation in the JCCP, talk to our video game addiction attorneys today.

Call (904) 295-1050 or use an online contact form to request a free consultation about video game addiction lawsuits filed for you or your child.

Information About Video Game Addiction

In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) added “internet gaming disorder” to its list of International Classification of Diseases, which marked the first time that “video game addiction” was officially recognized by a health and safety group. The definition set by WHO states that video game addiction usually involves a strong, pathological urge to play a video game to the point that it causes harm to the individual’s well-being or functioning. Although video game addiction could affect anyone, the focus of concern has been on how intentionally addictive video games and gambling-like in-game mechanics can affect young gamers, such as children and teenagers with developing minds and personalities.

Six video games that recently have been controversially accused of promoting addictive behaviors in its player base are:

1. Counter-Strike
2. Fortnite
3. League of Legends
4. FIFA
5. Overwatch
6. Roblox

Some of the games on this list and many others not listed allow or have allowed players to spend real money to unlock a randomized in-game reward. The argument has been made that this type of video game reward system is similar if not identical to gambling.

Studies Highlight Video Game Addiction

Video game developers have consistently argued that video game addiction isn’t a real disease or complication and that addictive behavior in gamers must be the outcome of other external and internal factors. However, as years pass, a continually growing pool of evidence shows that video game addiction can be real to some people, especially younger gamers.

Worldwide studies have drawn worrying conclusions about video game addiction, such as:

• In 2000, a study of young South Korean students determined that about 15% of them were at risk of displaying behaviors similar to what would later be recognized as video game addiction.
• A six-year study conducted by BYU researchers found that 10% of gamers in the United States could be classified as at risk of video game addiction.
• Various studies have concluded that teenage boys are the most likely to become addicted to video games or spend an inordinate amount of time playing video games.

What are the Signs of Video Game Addiction?

Potential signs of video game addiction include:

• Constant need to play a video game
• Experiencing negative emotions when unable or unpermitted to play a video game
• Lying about much time each week is spent playing video games
• Spending a significant amount of money on in-game rewards
• Declining grades and having trouble with schoolwork due to a preoccupation with video games
• Getting fired or struggling to complete day-to-day responsibilities due to a preoccupation with video games
• Refusing to participate in social settings that don’t involve a video game
• Trying to reduce the amount of time spent playing video games but failing

Mental Harm Caused by Video Game Addiction

Young minds need healthy and stimulating environments to develop. Any addictive substance or activity can damage a young mind’s development, and this includes video game addiction.

Children and teenagers who have video game addiction might suffer from:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Memory problems
• Exhaustion

Financial Harm Caused by Video Game Addictions

While video game addiction could be harming young developing minds, there are also concerns about the financial harm it can cause. Many game developers who have been targeted by video game addiction lawsuits include microtransactions in their games, which offer small in-game items or perks for real currency. The worst potential offenders are game studios that use “gacha game” mechanics in video games, which offer a randomized reward through a system that is curiously similar to a digital slot machine. Children who don’t understand that “loot boxes” need real money to win can spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on digital rewards before their parents are ever notified by the bank.

Why Should Video Game Studios Be Liable?

The main argument brought forth in most video game addiction lawsuits is that the video game studio designed their games to be addictive, especially to young gamers. Furthermore, it has been argued that they failed to warn parents that their games could be addictive or that their games included “loot box/gacha game” mechanics that use real money. Overall, it has been argued that these companies have helped create a public health crisis for children, so it is only right that they are held responsible through civil lawsuits.

In one video game addiction lawsuit brought against multiple video game companies, the plaintiff asserts that the company should be liable due to:

• Strict product liability (design defect)
• Strict product liability (failure to warn)
• Negligence (design and failure to warn)
• Fraudulent misrepresentation
• Violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law

Call Our Video Game Addiction Attorneys Now

If your child has started showing signs of video game addiction, you could have grounds to file a video game addiction lawsuit with the help of Edwards & Ragatz, P.A.. The same is true if you played addictive video games as a child and still experience the harm it caused to this day. Our trial lawyers can review your case, let you know how to proceed, and offer our legal counsel for either an individualized claim or one that becomes part of larger litigation efforts against the video game industry.

Get a FREE case review with our team in Jacksonville – call (904) 295-1050 at any time.

More About Video Game Addiction

• “Is Video Game Addiction a Disorder?” (Psychiatric Times)
• “Is video game addiction real?” (BYU News)
• “Teens & Video Games: New Research on Teenage Video Game Addiction” (Newport Academy)