Managing Video Games with ADHD - What Parents NEED to Know

Sure, gaming is fun, social, and even skill-building. But when your teen has ADHD, those fast-paced dopamine hits can override their ability to self-regulate. What starts as downtime can spiral into missed homework, emotional meltdowns, and constant conflict.

Here’s why:

🧠 The ADHD brain craves dopamine.
But it struggles to earn it through hard, healthy efforts—like exercise, finishing tasks, or even meaningful social connection.

🎮 Video games deliver cheap dopamine fast.
No effort. All reward. The brain gets hooked—fast.

😤 Over time, the brain atrophies at doing hard things.
Even short gaming sessions can drain the very systems responsible for emotional regulation, focus, and resilience.

But you don’t have to rip the console from their hands.
You can partner with your teen to build a healthy, structured relationship with gaming—a relationship that honors their joy and strengthens their brain.

Here’s how to start:

✅ Set specific gaming times with your teen
✅ Require "evidence" of completed priorities before gaming
✅ Stay light-hearted—but consistent
✅ Collaborate on rules (not punishments)
✅ And when needed—be the body double to help them get back on task

I've seen teens transform when these steps are applied with love, clarity, and consistency. But I also know it’s hard to do alone.

That’s where I come in.

I'm Annie Adjan, a Certified ADHD & Academic Coach. I work one-on-one with teens and families to create structure, build skills, and bring calm back to the home.

📺 Want to go deeper?
Watch my short video on why gaming impacts the ADHD brain differently—and what to do about it.
👉 Watch it here