SoylentNews

takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

'Gaming Disorder' Is a Now an Official Medical Condition, According to the WHO [time.com]

Nearly anywhere you go, it's easy to find children and adults alike transfixed by their phones, and while texting and social media certainly claim a big part of that attention, increasingly it's gaming that's drawing us in.

At the World Health Organization's World Health Assembly on Saturday, member states officially recognized gaming addiction as a modern disease [who.int]. Last year, the WHO voted to include gaming disorder as an official condition [who.int] in the draft version of its latest International Classification of Diseases (ICD); the vote finalizes that decision. The WHO's ICD, currently in its 11th edition, serves as the international standard for diagnosing and treating health conditions.

According to Tarik Jasarevic, a spokesperson for the WHO, the move is "based on reviews of available evidence," and reflects general agreement among experts around the world that some people show a "pattern of gaming behavior characterized by impaired control," prioritizing gaming over other daily responsibilities, including attending school or work and keeping social appointments.

According to the WHO experts who analyzed studies on gaming behavior, people's use of gaming is different from their use of the internet, social media, online gambling and online shopping. There isn't sufficient data, they say, to indicate that people's reliance on those is a "behavioral addiction" the way gaming can be.

Previously: World Health Organization Will Recognize "Gaming Disorder" [soylentnews.org]
World Health Organization Officially Lists "Gaming Disorder" in ICD [soylentnews.org]
Why is There a 'Gaming Disorder' but No 'Smartphone Disorder?' [soylentnews.org]

Related: Treatment Centers for Internet Addiction are Popping Up [soylentnews.org]
Burnout is Now an Official Medical Diagnosis, Says the World Health Organization [soylentnews.org]

Original Submission