Are you addicted to video games?

World Health

World Health Organization lists gaming
disorder as a medical condition

In Depth

The designation may “help legitimise worries about video game
fans who neglect other parts of their lives” and make gamers more
willing to seek treatment, says the US newspaper.

There have been a number of recent high-profile stories about
video game addiction, including reports of a nine-year-old who was
found sitting on a urine-soaked cushion because she couldn’t tear
herself away from the screen.

One doctor likened his patients with a Candy Crush Saga
obsession to cocaine addicts. “Their lives are ruined, their
interpersonal relationships suffer, their physical condition
suffers,” he told the NYT.

WHO will now notify governments around the world that they will
be expected to incorporate “gaming disorder” into their health
systems, although some critics are skeptical about how many
resources the NHS will devote to the problem, says The Daily Telegraph.

So how do you know if you have an addiction?

What is gaming disorder?

According to WHO, players with an addiction feel like they are
not in control of their gaming habits, give priority to gaming over
other interests and daily activities, and continue to play despite
the negative consequences.

“For gaming disorder to be diagnosed, the behaviour pattern must
be of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in
personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other
important areas of functioning and would normally have been evident
for at least 12 months,” the WHO website says.

Should all gamers be concerned?

An estimated 2.6 billion people worldwide play video games,
according to the Entertainment Software Association, a US body
representing video game publishers. However, studies suggest that
only a small proportion of players will be affected by gaming
disorder.

WHO recommends that players should “be alert to the amount of
time they spend on gaming activities, particularly when it is to
the exclusion of other daily activities”. They should also watch
out for any physical or psychological changes that might be
attributed to their gaming behaviour.

What does the video game industry say?

The industry has pushed back against the gaming addiction, says
The New York Times. A coalition of video game organisations claims
that the new classification is  “deeply flawed” and that
the “educational, therapeutic, and recreational value of games is
well-established and recognised”.