SHARE
COPY LINK

TEENAGERS

Teen forced to take treatment for ‘computer game addiction’

A court in south-west Sweden has ordered a teenager to be forced to accept treatment for his addiction to computer games. The 17-year-old boy's addiction is comparable to forms of substance abuse, doctors say.

“He has isolated himself from other people and taken on an unacceptable daily rhythm,” the district court in Falkenberg, in the boy’s home county of Halland, ruled.

The boy’s relatives say he rarely leaves home, becomes aggressive or listless when away from his computer, neglects his schoolwork and has little social interaction, according to Hallands Nyheter.

The case is only the fourth time Swedish authorities have issued forced treatment orders for youngsters with computer game addictions, psychologist Owe Sandberg told Hallands Nyheter.