What games does your child play on the street? He plays hide and seek, war, hopscotch, ropes, digs in the sandbox, etc. etc. Why does he do this? He communicates with other children, learns to control his body, and learns about the world through play. But children are also very sensitive and vulnerable. And it is in the game that they are able to safely resolve the conflicts that trouble them, answer many pressing and painful questions for them, and in general, respond to significant events in a timely manner and without damage to their psyche. Everything that is denoted by the psychological term “acting out” is first used and implemented in children’s play. But then a computer or game console appears in the house, and with it the entire virtual world of computer games. It is unreal, but it is more colorful, mysterious, and most importantly, it is easier to become a winner in it than in everyday life. It is also important that in “computer” life there are no real losses, there is no negative emotional assessment by other people, and mistakes made can be corrected by repeatedly replaying one or another moment of the game. Getting into addiction is most often facilitated by family troubles, indifference, and inability to understand the needs of another. Children 6-8 years old and adolescents are especially vulnerable. Indifference, parents' passion only for themselves, leaving the child to himself leads to his departure into a less frightening and more “predictable and fair” world of the game. In adulthood, games can also successfully replace real life. This happens especially often in the so-called crisis periods of life: 25, 30, 40 years, in cases where the results of achievements do not live up to expectations, if a person is faced with misunderstanding, if family life does not work out. As with any type of addiction, gambling addiction distinguishes between both a pronounced irresistible craving for a computer game and a less noticeable one, located away from the risk zone. It all depends on the amount of time spent at the computer, the saturation of life with other interests or the lack of them as such, as well as the general emotional state. Inveterate gambling addicts most often have an increased level of aggressiveness, weak appetite and decreased sexual desire. It is the total passion for computer games that poses the greatest danger to the normal functioning of the human psyche and his relationships with himself and others. Among the main symptoms of addiction are the following: - daily, non-stop gaming on the computer; - it is very difficult to leave the game unfinished; - eating without looking away from the monitor; - Most conversations with friends and acquaintances are only about achievements, completed levels, etc. etc. - loss of sense of time during the game; - as soon as all loved ones leave home, a person with a feeling of relief rushes to the computer and starts playing. In order to better understand the emotional state of a gamer, I will give a brief psychological interpretation of the most common types of computer games: “Shooters”1. The point of the game is “Kill them all”2. A similar children's game is “war”3. Psychological meaning of the game: “Shooting games” can represent an attempt to safely play out some well-controlled aggression towards some events or significant other people, safely for oneself (and others). This is also a very effective way to cope with anxiety or fears (by shooting fear you can get rid of it for a while). This type of game is mainly played by the male half, seeing in it the opportunity for “masculine dominance” over an enemy, real or imaginary. The phallic symbolism of weapons plays a large role here, complementing the control over aggression with libidinal acting out. “Sports games” (football, hockey, etc.)1. The point of the game is to score a goal, a puck, etc. etc., win the match.2. Similar children's games3. Psychological meaning of the game: The main difference between computer sports games and real ones is the absence of physical sensations (except that your fingers may hurt). Meanwhile, any sports game.