Design For Life

Is online gaming interfering with my son’s real-life friendships?

This week psychotherapist Dr Colman Noctor advises a worried parent whose son socialises with his peers mainly through video games

Online gaming chats on headsets can be fine, but they are not the same as face-to-face communication

Dear Expert,

I’m concerned about how much time my 13-year-old son spends playing video games. He is sociable with his family, but has always been very shy with kids his own age and has never had many friends.

But he seems to really come alive when playing video games. He has a real interest and passion for them, and spends every waking moment outside of school playing them. He does it online and talks to ...