It seems that addiction to video games has been officially recognized as a mental disorder!
If you read the latest edition of the World Health Organization's (WHO) manual for the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD), you will notice that Gaming Disorder has now been officially classified as a mental health condition.
In the manual, the organization has placed it under the category of “Substance Use Disorders or Addictive Behaviors.” Some may find this placement appropriate, as video games are already being labeled as “digital drugs” by parents and health experts.
The WHO also lists various reasons that could indicate the existence of the disorder:
- Reduced gaming control
- Prioritizing video games over other tasks
- Escalation of behavior despite negative consequences
However, this position has not been accepted by everyone. Many experts are not convinced that Gaming Disorder even exists as a disorder.
On the other hand, Vladimir Poznyak, the WHO member who proposed the diagnosis, told CNN that the inclusion of the disorder in the manual is a result of trends and developments in the professional field as well as in daily life.
Experts also argued that the WHO criteria need to be further examined, as they do not offer a clear way to distinguish between severe and mild addiction.
