WHO labels gaming addiction a disorder but experts disagree
- 6 years ago
GENEVA — Video game addiction is now a disease, according to the Word Health Organization, and it's being called "gaming disorder."
The WHO says the disorder can manifest in individuals who are obsessed with videogames, particularly those who game longer and do it in place of other activities.
They also warn the disorder may hurt relationships with family and friends and activities in work and school. For a gaming disorder diagnosis an individual needs to show symptoms for around a year, according to the WHO.
In a December 2016 paper, a plethora of experts from the world over refuted the WHO classification. Writing then, they argued that the gaming disorder definition "should be removed to avoid a waste of public health resources as well as to avoid causing harm to healthy video gamers around the world."
The WHO says the disorder can manifest in individuals who are obsessed with videogames, particularly those who game longer and do it in place of other activities.
They also warn the disorder may hurt relationships with family and friends and activities in work and school. For a gaming disorder diagnosis an individual needs to show symptoms for around a year, according to the WHO.
In a December 2016 paper, a plethora of experts from the world over refuted the WHO classification. Writing then, they argued that the gaming disorder definition "should be removed to avoid a waste of public health resources as well as to avoid causing harm to healthy video gamers around the world."