The world at large seems to be paying attention to video games this year. Unfortunately, it’s not all in a positive light. First, we saw Star Wars Battlefront II take massive flak for its “loot boxes are gambling” controversy. The UK Gambling Commission even coined a term called “skin betting” defining an addiction to loot boxes and their ilk.
Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) is classifying gaming addiction as a mental disorder.
“Gaming disorder is characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour (‘digital gaming’ or ‘video-gaming’), which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by: 1) impaired control over gaming (e.g., onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context); 2) increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and 3) continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences. The behaviour pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning. The pattern of gaming behaviour may be continuous or episodic and recurrent. The gaming behaviour and other features are normally evident over a period of at least 12 months in order for a diagnosis to be assigned, although the required duration may be shortened if all diagnostic requirements are met and symptoms are severe.”
This isn’t a particularly new realization, as there have been rehab centers for gaming addiction founded in the past. Notably, reSTART is a well-known center in Seatle.
Public opinions and knee-jerk reactions aside, virtually any sort of hobby or fun can become addicting to the right personality. Surprisingly, internet and mobile devices have yet to be included in this list, but it seems to only be a matter of time, as the gaming addiction definition has been in the works longer.
However, the American Psychological Association counters this view, finding it to be controversial and perhaps too early to say.
“With proposals to include “gaming disorder” in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) and International Compendium of Diseases (ICD), the concept of video game addiction has gained traction. However, many aspects of this concept remain controversial. At present, little clarity has been achieved regarding diagnostic criteria and appropriate symptoms. It is unclear if symptoms that involve problematic video gaming behavior should be reified as a new disorder, or are the expression of underlying mental conditions. Nonetheless, the recent proposals around gaming disorder from respected bodies such as the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association seem to lock much of the applied research into a confirmatory trajectory. Since the DSM–5 proposal, research is increasingly focused on the application of the proposed criteria, as opposed to broadly testing validity and necessity of the overarching construct. This raises multiple concerns. First, the current approaches to understanding “gaming addiction” are rooted in substance abuse research and approaches do not necessarily translate to media consumption. Second, some research has indicated that “video game addiction” is not a stable construct and clinical impairment might be low. Third, pathologizing gaming behavior has fallout beyond the therapeutic setting. In light of continuing controversies, it is argued that the currently proposed categories of video game addiction disorders are premature.”
In short: Video games can be a lot of fun. They can also be addicting. Enjoying gaming regularly is not necessarily an addiction, but the line is being defined by WHO next year.
