Teen dies due to video game addiction

When 15-year-old Brandon Crisp's parents realized he was skipping school due to long hours playing Microsoft's XBox "Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare", they took the game away. Brandon was devastated and decided to run away from home. He died of hypothermia several miles from his home.

Brandon Crisp's tragic story is told in CBC's fifth estate program which aired March 6, 2009 titled "Top Gun: When a video gaming obsession turns to addiction and tragedy". I highly recommend watching the full episode as it provides an excellent, in-depth exploration of video game addiction.

For any parent with a child who plays video games, it is essential to understand the world of video games along with the serious problems of possible addiction. Parents who realize the addictive nature of some video and internet games are in a better position to make wise decisions around the games their children are allowed to play.