My 13 year old is getting pretty deep into gaming. It's all he wants to do after school. I've tried talking to him about balance but it just turns into a fight. He says all his friends play constantly too. How do I know if this is normal teen stuff or actually a problem? When did games become so addictive anyway?
13 is tough because gaming is actually social for them now, not just a solitary thing. Have you asked him what games he's into and why? My kid got way more interested in gaming after he started playing with friends from school. The issue wasn't gaming, it was that he wasn't finding other stuff fun anymore.
Set specific times instead of trying to cut it off cold turkey. Gaming after school is fine, but maybe it's not fine till midnight. Make the rule about the time, not about how much you hate the games.
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The white noise playlist approach doesn't work for gaming but what does work is making other things more appealing. Nature hikes, garage sales, something where he's not just sitting in a dark room. Sometimes it's not about removing the addiction, it's about adding better options.