Gaming addiction: Myth or Reality
South Korea has become the hub of online video gaming addiction, so much so that the country recognizes it as an urgent matter of public health. Yes, health!
Making news worldwide in recent years were instances of death at Internet cafes in Korea, resulting from blood clots from prolonged sitting, malnutrition, dehydration, cardiac arrest and lack of sleep. Yet one of the most tragic cases occurred in 2010 when the addiction affected an innocent individual. A South Korean couple let their real-world baby die of neglect while nurturing a virtual baby.
Is it Real?
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), video game addiction is not “officially” considered a mental disorder. At least, not yet.
Video game addictions were not included in the May 2013 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), the gold standard in classifying and discussing mental disorders. However, its incorporation into the manual has been a hot topic since 2000, as the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) supported and then withdrew support for the addiction to be added to the manual. This is not to say that a video game addiction is not real or that it is not dangerous, but rather both associations recognize the issue and will not make a decision until a later edition. What both associations agree on is that excessive video game playing by children can be unhealthy and lead to other problems, including anti-social disorder, psychosis and even death.
Brain-imaging shows physical changes similar to those of compulsive gamblers, alcoholics and cocaine addicts. When given a cue (i.e., the sight of a game or the smell of cocaine), the brain lights up in the reward centers, the same “pleasure areas” that light up when people eat something delicious or have sex.
Addiction Warning Signs
Gaming for long periods of time does not always translate into a “gaming addiction.” With the accessibility (more so now, with the advent of game-capable cell phones), variety and social acceptance of virtual games, they have become a common leisure activity. Most people can play, even for extended amounts of time, and yet avoid falling into addiction. The question is, can they control their gaming activity?
According to the first inpatient clinic for internet addiction recovery, at Bradford Regional Medical Center in Pennsylvania, warning signs for video game addiction include:
- Playing for long durations of time
- Thinking about gaming during other activities
- Gaming to escape from real-life problems, anxiety or depression
- Lying to friends and family to conceal gaming
- Feeling irritable when trying to cut down on gaming
Symptoms
Video game addiction can be likened to impulsive control disorders or a behavioral addiction, such as Internet addiction, sex addiction, kleptomania and compulsive gambling.
The basic criterion for defining addictions is:
- The person needs more and more of a substance or behavior to keep him going.
- If the person does not get more of the substance or behavior, he or she becomes irritable and miserable.
Dr. Kimberly Young, PsyD and clinical director of The Center for Online Addiction, said compulsive gaming meets the criteria for addiction and has seen severe withdrawal symptoms in game addicts. Young describes addicts as “becoming angry, violent, or depressed. If [parents] take away the computer, their child sits in the corner and cries, refuses to eat, sleep or do anything.”
Although gaming addiction is not an official medical condition, there are addiction-like behaviors that mirror those of people with medically-recognized addictions. Exhibiting two or three of the following symptoms most likely indicate a sign of addiction.
- Preoccupation – seeming distracted, disinterested and irritable, or obsessively talking about the game when away from it
- Downplaying computer use
- Unable to limit time spent gaming
- Losing track of time
- Negative impact on other areas of life
- Hiding from negative or uncomfortable feelings or situations
- Defensiveness
- Misuse of money
- Mixed feelings – feelings of euphoria quickly followed by guilt
A gaming addiction may seem rather harmless when compared to the dangers of drug addiction, but compulsive gaming can ruin lives just as easily. Addicts become dependent and aggressive, and they jeopardize their relationships and jobs. As Dr. Kimberly Young also stated, addicts leave little time for and have no desire to work, engage in other recreational activities, socialize, sleep or even eat.
Physical Consequences
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other pain, swelling or irritation of the wrist
- Migraines
- Sleep disturbance/disorders
- Backaches
- Eating irregularity
- Poor personal hygiene
Social Consequences
- Diminished interaction in the real world
- Stunted social skills
- Neglected personal relationships or even the collapse of relationships
- Poor choices (i.e., bringing your gaming laptop to work despite knowing it could cost your job)
- Lack of sleep/no energy for work or maintaining relationships
Treatment
Video game rehab is becoming a business. The number of game “detox” centers is increasing with demand, although little research has been done on their effectiveness. Treatment is generally therapeutic, including counseling or immersion in real settings, such as being outdoors or having true human interaction. Because computers have become unavoidable components in everyday life, addicts must learn to live with computers much like compulsive eaters must learn how to live with food. They must learn how to use the computer responsibly and not for gaming.
In response to the idea of setting time limits, gaming rehab counselors analogize giving gaming addicts some game time to giving an alcoholic just one beer. So for gamers wanting to hit the final “Esc,” it has to be cold turkey.