01/09/2026
An Open Letter to Members of the United States Congress, United States Senators, and my Fellow Americans.
Dear Members of Congress, Honorable Senators, and Fellow Americans,
I write to you as a psychiatric mental health professional and as the Founder and CEO of Nolo Behavioral Healthcare LLC, compelled by growing clinical and public health concerns evidence that excessive and unregulated video gaming has become a silent threat to the mental health and safety of American teenagers.
The World Health Organization recognized Gaming Disorder in 2019, citing impaired control, functional decline, and persistence despite harm. In the United States, adolescents now average 7–9 hours per day of recreational screen time, with video gaming accounting for a significant share (American Academy of Pediatrics).
What distinguishes modern gaming from past forms of entertainment is not merely screen exposure, but embedded communication infrastructure. Multiplayer platforms routinely provide real-time chat, private messaging, and anonymous interactions—often with minimal oversight. Federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI, have warned that such digital spaces can be exploited by gangs, extremist organizations, and cult-like groups to groom, recruit, and radicalize minors.
From a neurodevelopmental standpoint, adolescents are uniquely vulnerable. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for impulse control and judgment, is not fully developed until the mid-20s. Meanwhile, gaming environments are intentionally designed around dopaminergic reward systems, reinforcing prolonged engagement and dependency (National Institute of Mental Health).
Clinically, we are observing patterns that mirror substance-related addictions:
1. Loss of control over use
2. Social and academic withdrawal
3. Sleep and mood disturbances
4. Continued gaming despite adverse consequences.
Contrary to common assumptions, this crisis does not primarily affect underserved populations alone. It increasingly impacts upper-middle-class and affluent families, where high digital access, private gaming spaces, and parents occupied with demanding careers can inadvertently limit real-time supervision. Physical safety at home does not guarantee digital or psychological safety.
A National Responsibility
Based on my understanding and research, it is evident that current federal frameworks addressing online safety were not designed for the gaming industry’s scale, speed, and interstate reach. Given that video game companies operate across state and national borders, this issue falls squarely within the federal government’s responsibility to protect minors, consumers, and public health.
Call to Action
I respectfully urge the United States Congress to:
1. Fund independent federal research on gaming-related behavioral addiction and digital grooming. I'm currently working on this!
2. Transparent, age-appropriate safeguards for in-game communication systems.
3. Support nationwide digital literacy and parental education initiatives.
4. Integrate gaming addiction screening into federal youth mental health programs.
5. Engage mental health professionals in shaping evidence-based regulatory standards.
America’s teenagers are not simply users of technology—they are our future service members, innovators, parents, and leaders. Protecting them in the digital age is not a partisan issue; it is a national imperative.
Respectfully,
Dr. Femi Olarubofin, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
Nolo Behavioral Healthcare LLC
Psychiatric & Mental Health Advocate
Nolobehavioralhealth.org
615-635-4575
References
Gaming Disorder (2019).
American Academy of Pediatrics.
Children, Adolescents, and Digital Media (2023).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
J̌Youth Risk Behavior Surveillancen (2022).
U.S. Department of Justice.
Online Exploitation of Minors (2021).
National Institute of Mental Health.
Adolescent Brain Developmentb(2022).
