In January, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that video gaming addiction will now be formally classified as a disorder in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases, the organization’s annual publication which updates physicians and researchers about developments as far as healthcare diagnose are concerned.
At around the same time, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) stated that the next edition of their Diagnostic and Statically Manual of Mental Disorders will include ‘video gaming addiction’ in their list of mental ailments.
The symptoms of this disorder include social isolation, trouble transitioning from one thought to another, reduction in empathy, loss of appetite and sensory perception. These symptoms are primarily prevalent in young men, and researchers have concluded that the symptoms need to persist for at least a year before doctors suffering from the disorder.
Nancy Petry, a professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and editor of the journal psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Who conducted research for APA, adds that withdrawal symptoms include violence, hostility, depression and anxiety.
This is explained by the fact that playing a game prompts a neurological response that causes feelings of pleasure and reward among players, and withdrawal results in these behaviors.
A significant number of health professionals advise that parents should monitor how many hours their children spend playing video games. They recommend that people, be they teenagers-or adults-should ideally play games for no more than two hours a day.
Therefore, if you are a parent whose child is suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, you should limit the number of hours they spend playing video game. If they do not listen to reason, you may want to consider seeking the advice of a psychologist or psychiatrist.
By Samia K. Baber. The Writer is Director, Health Awareness Society.