“We avoid the discussion of myths versus facts,” Rogers explained, because research shows that students remember myths and confuse them with facts. Pulling the Failures of the DARE anti-drug programGambling materials tell children what gambling is without showing them how to do it.
“We’re not teaching them how to gamble,” Rogers said. Small tests between sections indicate whether children understand what they have been taught.
What are the prospects for more states adopting this?
“There is a lot of interest in states that want to replicate what Virginia is doing,” Rogers said; Massachusetts and New Jersey are considering legislation now. At the same time, a lack of federal leadership hampers state efforts because there is no national plan to address problem gambling that states can simply adopt. Governments can also be slow to react to threats that do not appear to pose imminent dangers.
“School systems have not caught up with the health system, and the health system has not caught up with the trends in the gaming industry,” Doura-Schawohl explained, noting that it took about 30 years to take action on the health risks associated with tobacco, alcohol and opioids. The fact that states receive revenue from legalized gambling also reduces enthusiasm for strict regulation; Gaming revenue provides a new source of state funds.
Not everyone who studies gambling addiction believes that mandatory school lessons focused on prohibition are the best approach to preventing problem gambling. Timothy Fongpsychiatrist and co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, and passionate about studying everything related to gambling, told me that “addiction and loneliness feed off each other.”
Young people who indulge in addictive behaviors look for quick ways to achieve financial and social success; They cannot resist the promise of “easy” money that will come to them from their own devices. “They think, ‘I need quick money to feel good about myself,'” Fong said. “What is missing in their lives is developing kindness, empathy, gratitude, compassion and strengthening civility and pride in themselves and their communities.”
Of course, young people need a foundation in financial literature and probability, but it would be more effective to address false expectations and fantasies about getting rich through gambling, he added. Children need connection with other humans more than immersion in an anti-gambling curriculum, especially adult mentors who can counter social media messages and misinformation.
“There is no magic solution,” Rogers said, acknowledging that addressing the problem will require more than a 90-minute session on the dangers of gambling. Children need tools on how to be successful and better ways to minimize stress. “This is just one piece,” he added.
jonathan cohenauthor or Big losses: America’s reckless bet on gamblingHe told me that school principals have begun calling him for guidance on how to handle their emerging problems, such as high school kids who openly talk about gambling and brag about their winnings. Cohen believes parents and schools should talk to kids about gambling, if nothing else to challenge the dominant narrative propagated by influencers on social media and celebrities on TV: that gambling is glamorous and fun and can’t cause any harm.
