The World Health Organization’s announcement to include gaming disorder a medical diagnosis.
Through the years, video games have gotten a bad rap. They are seen as a major distraction, with tech addiction affecting people of all ages and all genders. They have remained controversial through the years with their graphic topics covering violence and sexuality. And now, video games have taken the limelight globally for being recognized as an alarming disorder.
Last may 25, the World Health Organization, also known as WHO, voted to include gaming disorder as a form of behavioral addiction in its International Classification of Diseases. What many parents scream to their kids about how their video gaming addiction is terribly annoying and how tech addiction is ruining their lives have just now become officially and dangerously real. There are several parameters to receive this gaming disorder diagnosis:
A person needs to show 12 months of continuous symptoms
Gaming and screen addiction takes up many hours of the technological addict’s time Prioritizing gaming over health, hygiene, work, and social relationships
Gaming Figures
This declaration by the WHO on gaming disorders comes at a time wherein the impact and clout of the gaming industry is at its peak. Last year alone, this video and online gaming industry made up to $44 billion in sales; making them even more popular than streaming services and movie theaters. In the United States alone, research indicated that 167 million citizens played some form of electronic game, with majority of those figures playing online.
Gaming has overtaken the place of older social media apps, leaving less time for those with a video gaming addiction to spend on FB, IG, or Snapchat. This diagnosis has, of course, alarmed parents across the globe because data indicates that 97 percent of teen boys and 83 percent of teen girls play games on some kind of device. Some form of digital detox or detoxification from excessive gadgetry is necessary.
Conflicting Community
The WHO’s voice is without a doubt one that is filled with authority and power. However, it must be noted that they are not the only word, nor the last word in the field of science. In fact, there are those up in arms over this diagnosis. Of course, the video game companies are not happy over this declaration. But even in the community of scientists, there is quite a split between supporting tech addition as the real deal or whether this is a gross exaggeration.
It is important to note that technology addiction doesn’t even appear on the bible of the psychiatric profession in the United States. The closest it comes to being mentioned in the latest edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual is something called Internet Gaming Disorder. However, it not listed as an alarming condition that’s a cause for concern. The term was just mentioned briefly with notes that stating this disorder needs further study.
This lack of a medical sounding diagnosis is a vital one. This omission is important because it shapes therapists’ and doctors’ understanding of their patients and the tools they need in order to extend help. And more significant, it is harder to bill insurance providers without this official code in the official manual.
Still Alarming
No official term exists in the United States yet, but clinicians find screen addiction alarming. Excessive video game consumption behavior patterns cause concern, especially since most users are children.
In Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking Our Kids, Dr. Nicholas Kardaras discusses brain-imaging effects. He treats teenagers so wrapped up in games they won’t make eye contact. The worst cases involve players too afraid of losing to use the toilet.
Dr. Douglas Gentile from Iowa State University initially approached video game addiction with skepticism. But he says all the data and evidence now stare everyone in the face. People struggle to accept, face, and handle the truth about this addiction. This addiction causes serious dysfunction across multiple aspects of a person’s life. The problem is not imaginary but very real and impactful.
Points to Consider in Problematic Use
The advent of technology in this very advanced and fast paced world has exposed every single person to a device. Gadget use has been very prevalent that even young kids have to grapple with its consequences due to early and too much exposure. There are many adverse issues raised against excessive use of technology. Aside from just physically damaging the eyes due to the radiation emitted by the devices, the exposure to so much screen time can cause the brain to change. As mentioned above, there are printouts of brain images that show the actual effect of gadgets on the brain of real live subjects. As a result, experts fear these alarming brain changes create real physical dependency.
On top of that, experts see gadget, game, and media overuse as symptoms of deeper issues like depression, ADHD, or anxiety. A study called A Parent Report Measure of Screen Media Addiction indicated parents express alarm about their children’s behavior. Taking away the gadgets only seem to make their children more rebellious. It also does not guarantee they will not have access to it in school or in other social settings. But what they do know is that excessive gadget consumption has the capacity to affect their kids’ health (staying up late nights make them prone to illnesses), impact the grades, affect time spent with family, and interfere with social relationships.
Proposed Treatment
Rather than confiscating gadgets, which causes harm and drama, implement harm reduction through digital detox. Taking gadgets away doesn’t eliminate the problem since they remain present in modern life. Confiscating gadgets is like sweeping the problem under the rug and pretending it doesn’t exist. Instead, teach discipline and healthy gadget use through mindful usage and controlled consumption.
Going cold turkey on video games may not work since they provide entertainment and socialization. However, you can take steps to keep the temptation to keep playing at bay. Keeping devices out of bedrooms ensures gamers get quality sleep at night. Make sure young people attend school, spend time with friends, and go outdoors.
Addiction is real, and video game addiction happens even if numbers aren’t high. Branding someone as an addict is dangerous, especially for teens forming their identities. What matters more is recognizing negative habits need correction and proper guidance. The words addiction and disorder drum up attention and controversy. Nowadays, people can’t leave home without phones, making controlled consumption increasingly difficult. But one thing is clear: no official diagnosis is needed to encourage less device use.
