Young men are struggling for many reasons. But one that deserves more attention is the increase in online gaming and gambling.

Emily Harrison is concerned that we aren’t providing the proper guidance to parents. “In a therapeutic culture such as ours, it is tempting to try to fix the problem from the top down. By prescribing anti-depressants, ADHD meds, shaming men for addictions, or simply telling men to “man up,” we run the risk of failing to understand the root causes.”

First, we need to recognize the addictive nature of screen media. Boys and young men cannot be allowed to spend all day on these devices. One expert has started referring to them as “the basement generation.”

Michelle Dirst is the Associate Executive Director for the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry. She explains that youth gaming and online gambling, especially mixed with AI, leaves her very concerned. “There are red flags that this could look like the scale of opioid addiction.”

Second, parents need to get involved early. Melanie Hempe, founder of the organization Screen Strong, argued that “parents of preschoolers need to be educated on the dangers facing boys today. We must start early.”

Third, parents need to see the link between gaming and gambling. “As pre-teens enter adolescence already primed for addictive behaviors thanks to online gaming, they are then flooded with access to sports betting and casino games where users are enticed with free incentives and “risk-free bets.”

Gaming and gambling addiction are significant threats to boys and young men.