Seems like doing something for hours on end means you have an attention problem.? That makes no sense at all.
" My son plays for hours at an end and won't listen to me - he must have an attention problem."
No. it's just that you are boring mom and the game is not.
Game addiction is just like any other addiction. The problem is something else. Game is just being used to self-medicate.
I find it rare that a person is addicted for the addiction's sake, and not some other external reasons. It is very easy to play games for 5-6-7-8- hours at a stretch, but they do fatigue people, and most games have a definite end so it's not like you'll continue to play forever.
It's kind of funny how some addictions in society are totally acceptable and others not. An addiction to video games is seen as bad, yet an addiction to books, sports, etc. isn't.
An addiction isn't bad at all, it's only if the said addiction is a detriment to the physical and mental wellbeing of the person addicted. Perhaps parents should engage more with the children on their terms, like playing puzzle games with the child and building up analytical skills or discussing stories and themes, or bonding through multiplayer games just the same as one would bond through an outdoor sport.
I'd hazard to say its the parents with the attention problem, in that they can't see the opportunity, only a negative.
The parent hates to see their future doctor, lawyer or president not paying attention to their studies.
Parent yells at the kid, slam doors and fumes around the house angry for hours, getting indigestion and headaches and have to take medication, while their kid barely noticing anything different, carries on playing and forgets it all in 30 seconds.