It’s Real: Video Game Addiction is Official
For many years now, parents have raised tremendous concern that their child might be addicted to video games. We’ve all heard about it, but now it’s official.
In a new ruling by the World Health Organization (WHO) that gives credit to those beliefs, the agency agreed last weekend to recognize gaming addiction as a mental health disorder which will go into effect beginning January 1, 2022. Though, to be diagnosed, a person must be playing video games so much that it ‘takes precedence over other life interests’.
During their research, experts found that some of the most critical examples of gaming addiction included individuals who played video games for up to 20 hours a day and didn’t eat or sleep, as well as engage in regular typical activities like school or work, noted Shekhar Saxena, director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the WHO.
While gaming disorder isn’t likely to affect many gamers, if the described symptoms persist for more than a year, they could be diagnosed with the disorder, he added. This is a fact that could alarm parents all over North America. According to Pew Research Center, 97 percent of teen boys and 83 percent of girls play games on some kind of device.
Similarly, the Video Games Coalition told NBC News that their products were ‘enjoyed safely and sensibly by more than 2 billion people worldwide,’ adding that video games generate ‘educational, therapeutic and recreational value.’
