Night Games, Empty Mornings

Karan, fifteen, from Jaipur, once loved cricket and drawing. Over a year, an online game took over. He played until three in the morning, hid the phone under the blanket, and became furious when his mother asked him to s…

Karan, fifteen, from Jaipur, once loved cricket and drawing. Over a year, an online game took over. He played until three in the morning, hid the phone under the blanket, and became furious when his mother asked him to stop.

His marks fell. He stopped seeing friends and skipped breakfast. When his father switched off the wifi, Karan shouted, kicked a door, then sat on the floor shaking and tearful. He said later that the game was the only place he felt good at anything.

His parents first tried punishment, which only made him hide more. Then a school counsellor called them in. She asked about Karan's loneliness, because a teasing episode the year before had left him anxious. His parents agreed to set up clear, shared rules with him: screens in the living room at night, set hours, and time for cricket again. They also arranged to see a child psychologist for the anxiety underneath.

It was slow. Some evenings Karan still argued, and his parents held the line calmly without shouting. The psychologist helped him talk about the teasing he had never mentioned. Within a few months he was back at the nets on Saturdays, sleeping better, and playing his game for an hour on weekends with his father sitting beside him, learning the rules.

How to recognise it

• More time online than planned, with failed attempts to cut down.

• Losing interest in earlier hobbies, friends and sleep.

• Strong irritability or distress when access is removed.

• Falling marks and missed responsibilities.

• Hiding use and playing to escape low mood.

What this story explains

This story shows that a behaviour loop such as gaming or phone use can share the cue, relief, shame pattern with substances, and that the underlying anxiety needs care too.

Probable root causes

• Games that reward constantly make the wanting stronger than the liking.

• Loneliness, bullying or anxiety that the game soothes.

• Easy, unlimited access and no screen-free structure.

• Not enough offline activities that give a sense of success.

What to do

1. Talk about it calmly before you remove anything, and ask what the game gives him.

2. Agree clear screen rules together, such as devices out of the bedroom at night.

3. Rebuild offline joys: sport, art, friends, family meals.

4. Keep sleep regular and protect it first.

5. Look underneath for bullying, anxiety or low mood and get help for it.

6. Stay consistent as parents, and model your own phone habits.

Whom to consult

• School counsellor for early support and a link to services.

• A child psychologist or psychiatrist if mood, anxiety or refusal is strong.

• Paediatrician or family doctor to check sleep and general health.

Do and don’t

How to behave and communicate

• Start with curiosity: "Tell me what you like about this game."

• Name the worry without blame: "I miss seeing you laugh at dinner."

• Offer choice inside limits: "Would you rather stop at nine or have a longer weekend slot?"

• Listen more than you speak, and avoid lectures.

• Stay calm when he is angry and return to the talk later.