‘Gaming disorder’ classified as a mental health condition

  • The World Health Organization is adding “gaming disorder” to its globally recognized compendium of medical conditions and diagnoses, the agency announced Monday — despite the objections of the video game industry and many researchers who have studied the issue, and believe the scientific evidence for the classification is weak at best.

    Pretty interesting article. I grew up in late 80s, early 90s. We were an upper middle class family. I had an Amiga and a PC. At the beginning, my parents tried to limit the time I was spending with videogames (30mins a day), but they gave up after a few weeks. I've played outside with other kids as well. I'd say my time was split around 50/50 between outside world and videogames. Without all that time I've spent with videogames, I wouldn't have my current job, I wouldn't have learned stuff like building your own pc or troubleshooting software. Even my English would probably be a lot worse. (hard to imagine, i know)

    If this "gaming disorder" existed on some list back then, I'm sure my parents would have been much harsher towards me playing video games.

    I'd like to know your opinion about all of this, especially if you're a parent.

  • 31
    Posts
    11.1k
    Views
  • @sir-lotus yeah, it's total nonsense. It's just some pack of researchers trying to make a name for themselves because they can't get jobs or are a failure at treating their own patience.

    Total bs. If it had not been for games I would have fallen into some bad habbits or checked out of this life because of some international intrigue surrounding my person. No, I'm not going to tell you who I am, and may have to give up this account. Regardless, games give people something to do, and help alleviate stress. If you're playing a tone of games, then odds are there's a lot of stress in your life.

    There was a time when I was seriously hooked, but no damage was done. I was still going to school, work, exercising and everything else. But when I got harassed in the real world because someone thought that I had certain inclinations, that's when I started hitting games like someone addicted to some substance.

    But the difference is that games help you keep your reflexes up, or keep you problem solving skills and memory skills sharp. They truly do. the only downshot is that you can't do much physical activity with most games, though there's a few exceptions.

    So yeah, this is total garbage. Thanks for the link. It really angers me.

  • I agree I would not have the job I do in IT if it wasn't for video games. All my knowledge of pcs and software stemmed from having to troubleshoot my own equipment to make it work. I don't see it as a mental illness but instead look at the individual. If someone has addictive tendencies they are more then likely to get addicted to gaming as well, and really my parents were happy I was playing games in my basement and not out smoking pot or drinking like my sisters. So I was the good kid for being a socially awkward nerd.

  • Too much of anything is usually a bad thing people... lol noone read the classification.

    Also that article is garbage writing. Look how it introduces arguments.. feels extremely bias pro-gaming.

  • I see that so far we all have similar experiences. I'm really curious to know, how the current generation of kids and parents feels about this. I want to know how much things have changed in those 20- 30 years.

    @ant-heuser-kush
    I'm really sorry to hear about your parents. I think I played just because I liked it when I was little. I had an older cousin, who played so many splitscreen games with me. I started using games as an escape only after my parents got divorced and much much later after life started giving out some harder punches, like when my ex moved out, etc.

  • As a parent of five, I must say that I feel there is something to this. I know it's not a popular opinion, but it's just my experience.

    My husband feels it's ok for the kids to play as much video games as they want so long as their grades are good and they are taking care of their responsibilities (chores, personal hygiene, etc.). Needless to say, most of their free time at home is spent playing games, especially the older boys.

    That being said, when they have to go an extended period of time without games, there is a noticeable shift in their behavior. They become moodier (than they already are...they are teenagers after all), they are more hostile, they tire easier. I liken it to how my ex behaved when he would go too long without a drink. However, the children that play less don't display the, what I call,"withdrawl" symptoms.

    We decided that unfettered access to video games is clearly having an addictive effect, and as such have begun to slowly decrease the amount of time that can play (is there a video game version of the DTs)

    Again, this is my opinion as a mother who has five distinct different level of gamers to observe. I understand that some of it can be attributed to age, but the heavy gamers in my household ages are varied (16, 14, 9). My mid gamer is 12 and my light gamer is 8. So I have a good cross sample to analyze.

    Just my observations.

  • @sir-lotus said

    I'd like to know your opinion about all of this, especially if you're a parent.

    Please feel free to ask any question about my post or my observations...I'm not shy!

  • You gotta actually read the article guys. They're not saying that playing video games is a mental disorder, or inherently bad. Here is what they say:

    "Gaming disorder is characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior (‘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 behavior 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 behavior may be continuous or episodic and recurrent. The gaming behavior 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. "

    Actually sounds quite reasonable. If 1, 2 and 3 apply to you, I'd say you do have a problem. I probably wouldn't call it a disorder and I agree with the people in the article who say that unhealthy gaming habits are more likely a symptom of something worse, like depression, rather than being a disorder of their own. But if you read the article, there are clearly two sides to this story and nobody is calling gaming inherently bad. So no reason to be upset. :)

    Edit:
    I too learned a lot from videogames and they played a big part in landing me my current job, and are still a big part of my life. But there was a time were I did have unhealthy gaming habits (world of warcraft anyone?) and could have used some help. Luckily, I found my way out of it, but others might not have been so lucky.
    And think of kids today who have way more exposure to videogames than we did in the 90s. You can play Fortnite on mobile for crying out loud, and many parents just don't pay attention to what or how much their kids are playing.
    I'd guess that the WHO is actually more concerned about those kids rather than adults who grew up with videogames in the 90s and learned to handle them.

  • @nebenkuh lol wut read artikle? Me no have gaming problem.

  • @pink-geek-chic

    thanks for writing this. If the behavior of your kids changes because of games this way, I completely understand the need to supervise it somehow. I'd probably do the same in your place.

  • @ant-heuser-kush what rating would you give SoT?

  • @pink-geek-chic said in ‘Gaming disorder’ classified as a mental health condition:

    As a parent of five, I must say that I feel there is something to this. I know it's not a popular opinion, but it's just my experience.

    My husband feels it's ok for the kids to play as much video games as they want so long as their grades are good and they are taking care of their responsibilities (chores, personal hygiene, etc.). Needless to say, most of their free time at home is spent playing games, especially the older boys.

    That being said, when they have to go an extended period of time without games, there is a noticeable shift in their behavior. They become moodier (than they already are...they are teenagers after all), they are more hostile, they tire easier. I liken it to how my ex behaved when he would go too long without a drink. However, the children that play less don't display the, what I call,"withdrawl" symptoms.

    We decided that unfettered access to video games is clearly having an addictive effect, and as such have begun to slowly decrease the amount of time that can play (is there a video game version of the DTs)

    Again, this is my opinion as a mother who has five distinct different level of gamers to observe. I understand that some of it can be attributed to age, but the heavy gamers in my household ages are varied (16, 14, 9). My mid gamer is 12 and my light gamer is 8. So I have a good cross sample to analyze.

    Just my observations.

    You know something ma'am? The same goes with every activity. A notable example are naval aviators flying F14s in the 80s and early 90s. When you take a pilot away from flying he becomes moodier, irritable, and just down right mean and hostile towards people because he's not enjoying what he's trained to do.

    And that goes with all pleasurable activities. The difference is the ramification of what the actual activity is. Whether it's flying jet fighters, doing aerobics, solving crosswords puzzles, or yes, even playing computer games, you get the exact same symptoms.

    The severity of those symptoms can vary, because if you're engaged in something that's mixing with your biochemistry and alters your mood, then you're going to have an extreme reaction. With computer games or the more simpler console / video games, you get those symptoms because your brain isn't rewarding itself when you've solved a puzzle or finished a quest like in this game. But it's still the same effect regardless.

    Like I said, if it had not been for games of all types, whether it was some military shooter or something more mundane like a desk top puzzle game like Pipe Dream, I would not be here. I in fact had to file a grievance with the Department of Justice's Human Rights and Inspector General to bring the harrassment to a stop. But what saw me through this was being able to install an old favorite or log onto some game server of something more contemporary, and take my mind off of people who had violated my privacy to the utter core and otherwise trying to harass me, so to speak. And not to be too melodramatic about it, but someone may have been trying to kidnap me or do me worse harm (good luck, since I've had 30 years of martial arts courtesy the secret service).

    Whether it's the old Colico Vision or Atari 2600, or our own Sea of Thieves, games are helpful and constructive. If they eat into your time to do other things that you should be doing, then you might have some kind of argument for cutting back. Otherwise games are beneficial to society.

  • i think its the same as anything. balance and moderation. people can easily go overboard, and the money that can be spent, like playing clash of clans or something and people dropping thousands of real dollars for fake gold, just to be a top tier player

  • It's always kind of funny to see how much scrutiny games get compared to other hobbies. When I was young, before I owned any gaming systems, I used to read books and write stories as if I were starving and words were food. I would read books so much I'd get in trouble at school for it because I would rather read than pay attention in class. Was I addicted? I don't know, I'm not an expert.

    My parents binge-watch TV (sports, dramas etc.) and movies. That's pretty much all they do for fun. And yet they love to talk trash about me playing video games with my boyfriend as a hobby in my free time. Seems a bit hypocritical, no?

    Like most people and this article are saying, gaming is really only an issue when it interferes with other life activities, but again this could go for any hobby (like my reading habit when I was younger). So, naming a specific disorder for gaming only is strange to me.

  • I probably should have been a bit clearer on where i stand on this.

    I agree, that some people can get addicted to games, as well as many other things. My problem with this is, that it's written kind of vaguely. I'm just afraid, that some people will now start seeing problems, that don't actualy exist. If a parent, who knows nothing about games googles this, they might come up with a wrong conclusion. Like because of internet, I know I've already had cancer about 500x, aids 7x and black death twice...

    Like @Pink-Geek-Chic already wrote, educated parents are already keeping an eye on their kids even without this.

  • @sir-lotus said in ‘Gaming disorder’ classified as a mental health condition:

    I'm really curious to know, how the current generation of kids and parents feels about this. I want to know how much things have changed in those 20- 30 years.

    My 13-year-old son has an XBox but he doesn't play it as often as he used to. Main reason: he's discovered girls! xD

  • @sir-lotus said in ‘Gaming disorder’ classified as a mental health condition:

    I probably should have been a bit clearer on where i stand on this.

    I agree, that some people can get addicted to games, as well as many other things. My problem with this is, that it's written kind of vaguely. I'm just afraid, that some people will now start seeing problems, that don't actualy exist. If a parent, who knows nothing about games googles this, they might come up with a wrong conclusion. Like because of internet, I know I've already had cancer about 500x, aids 7x and black death twice...

    The article was garbage. The classification is perfectly clear. Stupid parents are stupid, doesn't matter what they can dig up on the internet. Heck, not vaccinating is a huge example.

  • @sir-lotus I agree about the vagueness of the writing. The criteria for diagnosis alone is lacking. What 12 year old isn't going to let video games take "precedent over other life interests and daily activities?" And as a rule, children have little self control. It has to be taught!

    So, when looking at the criteria, I see behaviors that are innate in the young. It is by no means the fault of the video games if these behaviors grow and get out of hand to the point they become a problem. Controlling these tendencies has to be taught...and that is a parent or caregiver's responsibility.

    If anything it's more a question of parental capability than mental disorder

  • @ant-heuser-kush What is considered "Wrong Thing"

  • Hogwash.

  • i also think there might be more of a dissociative disorder attached, rather than gaming being the root cause, it would rather be a mechanism to cope.

    there is still a great deal of research into the effects of gaming in my personal opinion. use SoT as an example, why do some like to hit the achievements and explore while others relish mayhem. not saying this speaks to a person being prone to violence or anything. but when you have games that are published where you play a murdering r****t, and the goal of the game is to stalk, r**e and murder (a real game that got banned) it sends up red flags for the industry.

    my point of all that is not so much of how gaming is consuming time, but what overall effects on our social behavior

  • well, it's official. we are all mental.

  • if gaming is wrong, i don't wanna be right.

  • I've just noticed, that Philip DeFranco made a vid about this yesterday. He has some good points about it.

    It's the first story in that video, I'm putting it in as a link only, since the rest of the video touches on another serious subject (US immigration and kids/families separation) and even tho I don't think so, it might be considered as suitable for 18+ only.

    youtube link

  • @pink-geek-chic said in ‘Gaming disorder’ classified as a mental health condition:

    @sir-lotus I agree about the vagueness of the writing. The criteria for diagnosis alone is lacking. What 12 year old isn't going to let video games take "precedent over other life interests and daily activities?"

    Well if they liked basketball and then stopped for example.. and a life activity would be school.

    Criteria doesn't seem too lacking.

  • @gloog i'd say it's too vague in many of its points. For example:

    duration may be shortened if all diagnostic requirements are met and symptoms are severe.

    with no definition of what "severe" means. Or how much shorter can it be.

  • @gloog so if given the choice, a 12 year old would choose to go to school over playing video games?

    And I am aware there are exceptions to those who prefer video games. My point is, you can replace "video games" with any activity they love doing...baseball per your example. If it is something they love because it's fun and they want to do it, they of course are going to choose it over other life activities, like school.

    It is a parent's job to teach moderation and responsibility, so that their desires don't become obsessions. And so they understand proper prioritizing of wants and responsibilities.

  • @pink-geek-chic said in ‘Gaming disorder’ classified as a mental health condition:

    @gloog so if given the choice, a 12 year old would choose to go to school over playing video games?

    That isn't at all how it is read. It says nothing about choice or which one they enjoy more.

    Are they failing classes now? Skipping school? taking precedent over daily activities

  • @gloog "let video games take precedent over" is the same thing as "choose video games over"

    And children go to school be cause PARENTS make them...not of their own accord.

  • @pink-geek-chic you aren't asking them what they would choose, which is how you are framing it... It's not a "Hey u like school or video games more?"

    they are actively letting it take control of their life.

    You even wrote about it. You clearly saw it taking over. There's nothing vague about it.

  • Well, shoot. With the amount of time I've put into games like Skyrim and Warframe… and now Sea of Thieves and Elite Dangerous, I need me a disability check. xD

31
Posts
11.1k
Views
30 out of 31