Sep 17, 2025
Could your child's gaming habit be a clinical disorder? In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Jennifer Jiyun Park, a postdoctoral researcher at the Yale School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, whose work sits at the intersection of gaming disorder, gambling addiction, and behavioral health in youth.
Dr. Park studies how problematic gaming develops in children and adolescents — including the brain-based patterns behind compulsive play, how gaming and gambling disorders overlap, and what evidence-based treatments actually work for young people. She's published research on CBT-based interventions, the role of caffeine and sleep in gaming behavior, and how social media use connects to addictive patterns in the adolescent brain.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- What "gaming disorder" actually means — and how it's clinically defined
- The neurological similarities between video game addiction and gambling addiction
- Why teenagers are especially vulnerable to problematic gaming
- The warning signs parents and clinicians should watch for
- What the research says about CBT and other treatments for gaming disorder in youth
- How gaming, caffeine use, and sleep deprivation create a dangerous cycle for teens
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