Sentinel Gaming Systems Renamed to Sentinel Computers to Focus on Prevention of Addictive Video Gaming and Social Media

Sentinel Computers will focus on manufacturing computer systems that are safe, enriching and productive for users of all ages

LAKE FOREST, CA, UNITED STATES, November 13, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Sentinel Gaming Systems LLC, manufacturer of computers for the treatment of videogame addiction has announced the change of the company’s name to Sentinel Computers LLC (sentinel-computers.com) to reflect both an expanding mission and to better represent upcoming products.

For the past decade, Sentinel Gaming Systems has been manufacturing high-end video gaming computers exclusively for the Computer Addiction Treatment Program (computeraddictiontreatment.com). The StudyStation™ computer was recently announced making the technology and clinical protocol for treating a wider range of problematic screen uses available to all clinicians. Sentinel Computers mission has now been expanded even further to provide computer systems to the general public that are designed to prevent problematic and addictive screen use. The first of the new consumer-direct products will be introduced in January 2025.

Initial product offerings will focus on child safety and wellbeing with features supporting academics and guided instruction, exploration of hobbies, interests and potential careers along with a wide range of safe entertainment options. For the first time in the company's history these products will be marketed and sold directly to parents. These products will help parents keep their children safe through age-based multi-layered limiting and monitoring that is strict yet simpler for parents to operate. Unique to these products, parent support and coaching will be available through a partnership with the Computer Addiction Treatment Program.

"Parents today face an incredible challenge in keeping their children safe and productive online. Parents have to navigate parental control settings on so many devices, operating systems, WIFI routers, websites and even the apps themselves. All the while their children are working to bypass these controls. It is no wonder why only about half of parents use any type of parental controls on their child’s devices. Sentinel Computers has been developing the technology to unify and simplify this for parents. We will provide systems their child can safely and effectively use for schoolwork, exploring hobbies and interests and entertainment", said Dr. Kenneth Woog, Sentinel Computers partner and founder of the Computer Addiction Treatment Program.

About Sentinel Compuiters

Dr. Kenneth Woog and son Timothy Woog released the award winning PC Moderator device to help treat videogame addiction in 2005. This small hardware device attached to personal computers to allow monitoring and limiting of computer use during treatment. It was used successfully for 10 years as part of a behavioral treatment protocol before becoming obsolete. In 2015, Dr. Woog and Timothy founded Sentinel Gaming Systems to produce custom Windows^® Gaming PCs to support the same treatment protocol. These computers provide hardware enforced parental control features allowing the user to remain the OS System Administrator yet allows the System Owner and clinician to remotely monitor use and set limits on when and how the computer could be used. These computers have been used exclusively at the Computer Addiction Treatment Program since that time. The lower cost StudyStation™ has been recently introduced to support a wider range of screen addictions and allows patients to use their existing computer or gaming console. It is the first Sentinel model to be made available for use by clinicians everywhere. The newly renamed Sentinel Computers will be ushering in a new generation of personal computers designed to be both safe and productive for children beginning in January of 2025.

About Kenneth Woog, BSEEE, Psy.D., MBA

Dr. Kenneth Woog founded LNW Research, one of the earliest personal computer companies with his two college roommates in 1979. After LNW, Dr. Woog founded several computer hardware and software companies and in 1999 decided to "retire" and take time to study how human psychology can inform computer design. But after the first MA in Psychology, Dr. Woog’s interests had turned clinical. While completing his pre-doc internship in 2002, Dr. Woog was referred, coincidentally, two 15 year olds struggling with video game addiction. Working with these two clients resulted in a change of his choice of dissertation to “A Survey of Mental Health Professionals Clinical Exposure to Problematic Computer Use”, completed in 2004. This survey identified the what clincians were seeing - the number of clients seen, their ages, problematic uses and effective methods for treatment.

Dr. Woog earned his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2004, became licensed as a psychologist and by 2007 made video game addiction treatment his sole specialization founding the Computer Gaming Addiction Treatment Clinic and subsequently the Computer Addiction Treatment Program in 2016. Dr. Woog and son Timothy Woog designed and manufactured the PC Moderator Device (2005) in support of the behavioral treatment protocol and ultimately designed the Sentinel Gaming Systems Computers for the same purpose in 2015.

Dr. Woog’s work has now come full circle. There is significant evidence that today’s screen devices and delivered content are not safe for children and the United States is experiencing a mental health crisis among youth as a result. While Dr. Woog continues to treat screen addiction, more of his time and energy has gone to prevention by leading the development of a new generation of personal computers, informed by behavioral. social, developmental and clinical psychology that are safe and enriching for children and vulnerable populations. Dr. Woog teaches and speaks publicly on technology addiction and has appeared on national television and film documentaries. He is also a clinical psychology training instructor and supervisor with Pepperdine University in Irvine California.

About Computer Addiction Treatment Program

Dr. Kenneth Woog founded the Computer Gaming Addiction Treatment Clinic in 2007 and subsequently the Computer Addiction Treatment Program in 2016. The Computer Addiction Treatment Program, with Dr. Woog, wife Debra Woog, LMFT and other associates, treat problematic and addictive video gaming, social media and other tech addictions in Lake Forest and Big Bear Lake California.

Kenneth M. Woog
Sentinel Computers, LLC
+1 877-401-1944
kwoog@sentinel-computers.com