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Video Games are a Major Factor in Divorce
Family lawyers are familiar with the fact that alcohol and drug abuse play heavy roles in causing couples to come apart. Gambling is another behavior that leads to divorce. Video game addiction has recently been a major factor of couples splitting. Fortnite, made by Epic Games, has emerged as the most addictive video game being played today. According to Divorce Online, Fortnite has been cited by name in over 200 divorce proceedings alone.
How Big Is This Problem?
Online games provide excitement, connection to other online users, and the delight of expressing oneself, but can be enormously destructive. Brain scientists have shown that these games do the same thing to neural wiring that heroin does. With repeated use, the brain begins to adjust to the pleasure surges of dopamine.
Real life cannot compete with online game addiction. It does not present the same level of excitement and pleasure, so users play for hours, as the brain becomes more and more dependent. Oftentimes, it is not the time spent on the console playing games that leads to problems, as much as the arguments couples get into, and the result of missed sleep.
The Divorce Online article states that 15 percent of wives cite gaming as a major contribution to divorce, saying that their partners put gaming before them and their marriage. A 2013 Brigham Young University study found that 75 percent of spouses of gamers wish their partners put more effort into their marriage and less into online gaming.
Being married to a gamer who cannot stop gaming leaves you feeling helpless, frustrated, and furious that something so foolish is destroying your marriage. Spouses wind up enabling the addict, making excuses for missed work, or being too tired to work. Eventually a breaking point comes, and your only possible recourse is divorce.
Divorce and Addiction
The threat of divorce may not motivate an addict to get help. Remember that their behavior does not mean they no longer love you, but they are caught up in something that has overpowered them. Experts suggest you only bring up divorce if you are serious about it. Divorce means you are at the end, and that you accept that your spouse will not be able to change. If you are in such a predicament, you should talk to one of our family law attorneys.
Morristown Divorce Lawyers at Lyons & Associates, P.C. Help Clients Seeking Divorce
If you are seeking a divorce from your spouse, our Morristown divorce lawyers at Lyons & Associates, P.C. can help. To schedule a free consultation, contact us online or call us at 908-575-9777. Located in Somerville, New Jersey, we represent clients from the surrounding areas, including Somerset, Woodbridge, Parsippany, Rockaway, Short Hills, Chatham, Randolph, Madison, Bedminster, Bridgewater, Mendham, Morristown, South Plainfield, and Morris Plains.