The recession may be emptying our wallets, but more Americans than ever before are playing video games -- experts say possibly to escape from reality. Americans spent $9.5 billion last year on video game software and 65 percent of our households play. Is it just a little innocent fun or can it be a real problem?
Like most Americans, the Morrow family enjoys playing video games. But unlike many, they balance playtime with reality.
"When it's cold and yucky outside, I let them play more than I do during the summer, and during the summer I try to limit them to around 30 minutes," Meredith Morrow told Ivanhoe.
One study shows 8.5 percent of young gamers could be classified as clinically addicted. Signs of addiction -- your child plays almost every day and for more than three hours at a time, they're irritable if they don't play, and they've lost interest in real-life activities. How can you snap them back to reality? First, develop an incentive plan where they earn video 
game privileges for doing chores or homework. Set limits on play time. A TV metering device will turn the TV off when their time limit is up.
Some other tips -- make gaming a social occasion. Have your child invite friends over to play video games so he isn't always playing alone. Also, go for the real thing. Instead of buying a video game to play baseball or hockey, take them to an actual game.
