Online gaming addiction

This is a small card I made for my 17 years old godson who's addicted to online gaming. He's staying with my mum temporarily since he had some disagreements with his parents. My mother usually come and stayed with us over the weekend and my wonderful young man is ever the same. He entered the house, greeted us, made some decent small chats and headed straight to the sofa, get his laptop out of his backpack, got online and been playing online game the whole night.

During the last christmas holidays, I observed him playing until wee hours, 4 or 5 am in the morning. His younger brother was also with us, and the 15 years old brother was even sleeping on the floor. Amazing these kids. We have spare rooms for them but they rather not really get a proper sleep. This morning, when I came down, I saw him snoring away on the sofa as usual.
After brunch, he went back to his laptop.

Just now, I sent him off to the shops to get something for tea. Not that I need anything from the shops. I've done all the food shopping for the weekend, but I had to do something to get him out for some fresh air and doing something else other than every single second stuck to his laptop. It was very very difficult to get him away from the online games. It is as if the laptop is glued to him and the sofa had eaten him up. Maybe something interesting catch his attention while in town.

About an hour after I sent this teenager out to buy something for tea time, he did came back with some goodies and we all sit down like normal family and his parents (my cousin) dropped by too.
Father and son tried to talk in a civilized manner but his mother (my cousin's wife) is making situation very dramatic and awkward.

In the end the boy still insisted that he want to stay on with his grand aunt (my mother)
Not that it matters to me but my mother had just recovered from a surgery last autumn and she is still recuperating. At the moment, I really don't trust her driving, especially right now with the icy condition. It was minus -12°C yesterday and more now coming in the next few days. I would prefer my mother staying with me until she's fit and strong again....but mum knew that if she stay with me and my godson under my roof would mean the "strict me" will get into a head on crash with this boy. Sticky situation.

I am not a disciplinarian or being impatient. I am actually very concerned. This is not my child and I really shouldn't bother at all but I've watched him grew up from his "babyland" days. I even did my fair share baby sitting and changing his pampers. Everytime after discussing this matter with my cousin, he always said "put some sense into that boy"....and the pressure kept building up.

I really don't know how to reach out to someone "who is there but he is really not there". He's just not paying attention and not interested in some topics for discussion. I don't want to sound like I'm picking on him or trying to teach or correct him. This is a small challenge but it is a tricky one.

I just want this young man to start thinking a little further than just today, to finish his high school with acceptable results, so he can further his education and learn to manage his time and sort out his priorities and start living in real world. Apart from his "growing pains" which all of us went through during our teenage years, I do find him a lovely kid and very homely. He doesn't t smoke, doesn't drink, not loitering around like some other teenagers. I think the biggest worry to us all is concerning his obsessive gaming.....