Gaming Addiction

Questionnaire: This is a self-assessment tool, not a diagnostic instrument. Only a qualified healthcare professional can diagnose gaming addiction or any other mental health condition after a comprehensive evaluation.

Hooked on Games: Understanding Gaming Addiction

For many, video games are a fantastic source of entertainment, offering relaxation, thrilling challenges, and valuable social connection with friends. On average, a gamer might spend around six hours a week immersed in virtual worlds. However, beneath this enjoyable pastime lies a potential danger that often goes underestimated: gaming can become a destructive addiction for some individuals.

As a parent, one might mistakenly assume your children are safe because they’re simply “at home” in front of a console or computer. Similarly, partners might rationalize a spouse’s extensive gaming as a harmless hobby, perhaps even preferable to other activities. Yet, it’s crucial to understand that underestimating these risks, or choosing what seems like “the lesser of two evils,” can still lead to significant, even catastrophic, consequences for individuals and families.

Video games are more accessible than ever before, with smartphones now the most popular gaming device, surpassing traditional computers and consoles. Games are readily available as apps and integrated into social media platforms. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) like League of Legends, World of Warcraft, Fortnite, Final Fantasy, and The Elder Scrolls Online continue to draw millions of players daily into their expansive virtual worlds.

While these experiences offer immense engagement, it’s vital to remember that, like all activities, moderation is key. Both adults and children have the potential to develop unhealthy, obsessive tendencies with video games.

Internet Gaming Addiction: A Clinical Perspective

To understand the severity of problematic gaming, it’s helpful to look at its clinical classification.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has formally recognized Gaming Disorder as a diagnosable mental health condition. It is listed in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) under the category of “Disorders due to Substance Use or Addictive Behaviours.”
The American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in Section III. This classification indicates that it is a condition requiring more clinical research and experience before it can be considered a formal disorder in the main manual.

The WHO defines Gaming Disorder as a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour (typically online) that becomes so extensive and severe that it takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities. Individuals experiencing this disorder exhibit an intense preoccupation with gaming, find it difficult to control or stop their gaming activities, and continue gaming despite negative consequences impacting various aspects of their life, including personal, social, educational, or occupational functioning.

For a diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder, gaming behaviour must typically meet the following criteria:

Impaired Control over Gaming: The person struggles to control the onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, or context of gaming, leading to significant impairment or distress.
Increasing Priority Given to Gaming: Gaming becomes progressively more important in the individual’s life, taking precedence over other interests and daily activities.
Continuation or Escalation of Gaming despite Negative Consequences: Despite experiencing negative consequences in areas such as physical or mental health, education, work, or relationships, the person continues or escalates their gaming activities.
Escaping or Relieving Negative Moods through Gaming: The person frequently uses gaming as a way to escape or cope with negative moods, such as feelings of helplessness, guilt, or anxiety.
Withdrawal Symptoms: When gaming is restricted or stopped, the person experiences symptoms such as irritability, restlessness, or intense cravings for gaming.
Tolerance: The person requires increasing amounts of time spent gaming to achieve the desired level of satisfaction or “high.”
Deceiving Others about Gaming Behaviour: The person may hide or misrepresent the extent of their gaming activities to family members, therapists, or others.

Individuals with this disorder play compulsively, to the exclusion of other interests, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress. They may jeopardize their academic or job functioning due to the time spent playing and experience symptoms of withdrawal when prevented from gaming.

The Neurochemical Basis of Gaming Addiction

Gaming addiction prompts a neurological response that influences feelings of pleasure and reward, ultimately manifesting as addictive behaviour in extreme cases. This phenomenon is rooted in the brain’s chemistry: video games can trigger the release of dopamine; a powerful neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reinforcement. This neurochemical process is like that seen with addictive substances, creating a very real phenomenon of gaming addiction.

Children and teenagers may become so attached to video games that they exhibit threatening or rebellious behaviour toward parents when asked to stop playing.

Distinguishing Enjoyment from Addiction

It’s crucial to differentiate between someone who plays video games for enjoyment and someone who is struggling with addiction. Merely spending many hours playing does not automatically equate to addiction.

Addiction occurs when an individual is cognitively aware of the negative consequences of their actions but continues to play regardless. This behaviour is classified as an addiction when an individual persists in playing despite being aware of the negative impact it has on themselves, their family, friends, work, and education.

By understanding these stressors, we can gain insight into the complex interplay between social media use and mental well-being, paving the way for healthier digital engagement.

If someone “needs” to play video games to feel happy and experiences significant discontent or distress when not playing, they may have an addictive disorder. Like substance dependence, researchers have documented possible video game withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, insomnia, aggressive emotions, and intense cravings to play again.

Consequences

Gaming addiction has been found to be closely related to certain personality traits, including low self-esteem, low self-efficacy, and tendencies towards anxiety and aggression. It can also be linked to clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. The consequences of problematic video game use can include:

A lack of real-life social connections.
Increased stress and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
Lower psychosocial well-being and feelings of loneliness.
Psychosomatic problems (physical symptoms caused or aggravated by mental factors).
Decreased academic achievement.

Signs of video game addiction

Preoccupation- being pre-occupied with the game when not playing it.
Downplaying computer use – not being truthful about the amount of time spent playing video games.
Lack of control – unable to control the time spent on the computer. Also lying about how often they play video games and play in secret.
Negative impact on other areas of life- growing distant from friends and family, not able to complete homework, neglecting personal hygiene, avoid activities they enjoy, skipping meals, tired because they are not getting enough sleep.
Defensiveness- become defensive when confronted, denies anything is wrong and justifies their behaviour.
Misuse of money- someone addicted to gaming might continuously spend large amounts of money for hardware and software upgrades and other computer related items.
Becoming isolated from family and friends

If you find yourself struggling with the lure and demands of social media, remember that your worth isn’t determined by likes, retweets, or followers. It’s about recognizing your inherent value and purpose. You are uniquely you, and no one else can fulfill the unique path you’re meant to walk.

Our smartphone habits can either amplify or hinder our most significant longing of all: deep connection, both with ourselves and with those who truly matter. Cultivating discerning thinking and developing healthy habits are crucial. Let’s maximize the many positive aspects our phones offer while remaining vigilant about the potential pitfalls. It’s time to wield this powerful tool with wisdom, fostering genuine connection and personal well-being.

The Impact of Video Game Addiction on Children and Adolescents

One significant consequence of video game addiction is its detrimental effect on academic success. Children who become obsessed with gaming are at risk of neglecting their studies, refusing to do homework, and avoiding participation in extracurricular activities like sports or clubs. Their fatigue from excessive gaming can even lead to falling asleep in class, significantly impairing their learning and overall performance.

Beyond academic challenges, video game addiction can hinder crucial emotional development and social interactions. Children with gaming addiction might exhibit aggressive and anti-social behaviour, struggling to develop mature social skills. Due to the immersive and instantaneous nature of video games, these children may find it difficult to carry out simple sequential tasks in real life

This difficulty arises because gaming primarily focuses on reacting to simple stimuli rather than following a series of actions, leading to challenges in forming habits and engaging in routines. For instance, a young child, due to excessive gaming, might struggle with multi-step thinking and planning required for real-life tasks, which can be overwhelming compared to the straightforward reactions often found in games.

Parents play a crucial role in addressing video game addiction in their children. Monitoring the amount of time spent on gaming and the types of games played is essential. Many games carry age restrictions due to adult content, violence, or explicit language, and it’s a parent’s responsibility to ensure their children’s exposure to age-appropriate content. The Pan European Game Information (PEGI) rating system is an invaluable tool that helps parents determine the suitability of games for their children. This rating can be found on various gaming platforms and game packaging.

Surprisingly, some parents remain unaware of the PEGI rating system and the restrictions on certain games. This lack of awareness leads to children playing games not meant for their age group, like adult-only games such as Call of Duty. It’s concerning to witness young children enthusiastically discussing games clearly intended for a mature audience. The responsibility falls squarely on parents to educate themselves about gaming content and protect their children from inappropriate exposure.