TALKING to young gambling addicts, some of who are barely 20, was a surreal experience for me.

They have gambled thousands of dollars away and have chalked up thousands more in debts to loansharks – all behind their families’ backs.

It set me wondering: How could this have happened?

From what I gather, there is a serious lack of communication between parents and their children. On the one hand, the youths were afraid that their parents would find out about their gambling addiction.

On the other hand, they felt their parents would not understand them even if they spoke up.

All these add to a disturbing conclusion: The kids clam up and refuse to share their problems with their families.

This means they cover up their losses by borrowing from loansharks when their monthly allowances are no longer enough to keep up with their addiction.

It is only when they could not find enough money to repay the loansharks that they turned to their parents for help to settle their debts.

Or, loansharks would harass their parents for payment. Only then would the parents know how much trouble their kids were in.

Why does it have to take such a monumental incident to happen before kids start talking to their parents?

It makes me wonder about my lack of openness with my parents.

I love and respect my mum and dad but, I have to admit, I do not have the habit of telling them the nitty-gritty details of my life, especially when it comes to unhappiness with work or relationship issues.

I usually turn to friends my age instead.

Inadequate communication between parents and children has long been a common issue in most, if not all, families.

Children half-jokingly term it the “generation gap”, believing that parents are too old-fashioned in their ways to understand the plight of young people.

But this perception has to change – fast.

The rise in youth gambling shows the serious and devastating consequences lack of communication can have on family relationships. Some parents would have thought of severing ties with their children because they feel so disappointed in them and helpless when it comes to the immense debts the kids racked up.

However, understanding and forgiveness are crucial to solving the problem.

But all these could have been avoided in the first place if children and their parents had simply talked.

So, the next time I feel like shutting myself in my room and busying myself with my own stuff, I’ll make the extra effort to ask after my parents and share my life with them.

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