Task Force to Tackle Virtual Gaming Addictions

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Task Force to Tackle Virtual Gaming Addictions

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Task Force to Tackle Virtual Gaming Addictions
Youth and families are encouraged to attend the inaugural public meeting, set for 4 p.m. Monday, April 29 in the Council Chambers at Temecula City Hall, 41000 Main St. in Temecula.
By Patch Staff April 23, 201

Virtual gaming and gaming addictions will be the main topics when the Regional Family, Youth and Health Task Force holds its kick-off meeting April 29.

Serving southwest Riverside County, the primary focus of the task force is to provide area youth, parents and families with resources and information to better understand and cope with modern-day influences such as social media, virtual gaming, gaming addictions, schoolyard and online bullying, teenage sexting, mental health, violence, drugs, alcohol and the like, according to a news release.

Youth and families are encouraged to attend the inaugural public meeting, set for 4 p.m. Monday, April 29 in the Council Chambers at Temecula City Hall, 41000 Main St. in Temecula.

The task force was formed when Temecula Mayor Mike Naggar, in unison with Murrieta Mayor Ricks Gibbs, reached out to leaders in southwest Riverside County. To date, the group is officially comprised of 24 elected leaders from eight cities and eight school districts.

"The cities of Murrieta and Temecula are not surprised that so many regional partners are joining forces with us. These are big topics to address that we all want to better understand and seek solutions in order to prevent harmful behavior within our communities,” stated Naggar. "As a regional team, we naturally create greater awareness and if we can assist families in our region through greater awareness, education and resources to help them constructively cope with modern influences that affect our youth, families and health, we’ve succeeded."

With prevalent social issues facing families throughout the country and in our region, specifically in light of developments in technology that pose new social complications, the Regional Task Force is committed to bringing awareness and finding solutions that address modern-day concerns and vulnerabilities.

"Our youth have so many new social pressures," stated Temecula Mayor Pro Tem Maryann Edwards, who is also appointed to the task force, “This task force offers a forum committed to understanding and dealing with societal influences that weren’t there even 10 years ago."

The key note speaker at the April 29 kick-off meeting will be Dr. Andrew Doan, a recognized expert in technology and video game addiction. With a doctoral degree in neuroscience, his background in molecular neuroscience adds in-depth knowledge into the areas of Internet addiction, video game addiction and technology addiction. Doan is also the author of "Hooked on Games."

The members of the Regional Family, Youth and Health Task Force include:

Mike Naggar, Mayor, City of Temecula

Maryann Edwards, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Temecula

Rick Gibbs, Mayor, City of Murrieta

Alan Long, Council Member, City of Murrieta

Mary Craton, Mayor, City of Canyon Lake

Tim Brown, Council Member, City of Canyon Lake

Robert Youssef, Mayor, City of Hemet

Shellie Milne, Council Member, City of Hemet

Ross Valenzuela, Board Member, Hemet Unified School District

Natasha Johnson, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Lake Elsinore

Steve Manos, Council Member, City of Lake Elsinore

Tom Thomas, Board President, Lake Elsinore Unified School District

Jerry Bowman, Board Member, Menifee Union School District

Kris Thomasian, Board President, Murrieta Valley Unified School District

Julio Rodriguez, Council Member, City of Perris

Rita Rogers, Council Member, City of Perris

Bill Hulstrom, Board President, Perris Union High School District

Mark Bartel, Mayor, City of San Jacinto

Crystal Ruiz, Council Member, City of San Jacinto

John I. Norman, Board President, San Jacinto Unified School District

Dr. Kristi Rutz-Robbins, Board President, Temecula Valley Unified School District

Michael Vargas, Board President, Val Verde Unified School District

Ben Benoit, Council Member, City of Wildomar

Bridgette Moore, Council Member, City of Wildomar

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