Gaming addiction was listed as a mental health problem by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018. WHO describes it as a kind of lasting gaming behaviour. It is so serious that it takes precedence over other life interests.
Dr Richard Graham, a lead technology addiction specialist at the Nightingale Hospital in London, welcome WHO's decision. "The decision is important because it draws more attention from the society. It also creates the opportunity for the gaming addicts to receive specialized services. It is something that people should take seriously." He added, "Some people do not think the condition should be treated with medicine. He could lead to confused parents whose children are just crazy gamers. They don't know how to help their children out." Dr Richard saw about 50 new cases of gaming addiction each year. He introduced the standards to tell whether a player is gaming addicted or not. Those standards are based on whether this action—gaming is affecting everyday things such as sleep, eating, social activities and education.
Lots of countries in the world are grappling with the problem. In South Korea, the government has put forward a law, stopping children under 16 from playing online games (between midnight and 6 am). In Japan, players are warned if they spend more than a certain amount of time each month playing games. As for China, Internet giant Tencent has limited the hours when children can play its most popular games.
Researcher Killian Mullan said, "People think that children are addicted to technology and spend a lot of time in front of these screens. They then become uninterested in other activities. However, we now know that is not true. Our findings show that technology is being used in some cases to support other activities, like homework for example, and not pushing them out." He added, "Just like adults, while doing other things, children make full use of high technology in study as well."
