If you're a gamer who's glued to (粘在) your phone constantly, it could be time to ask for medical help. On June 18, the WHO officially listed "gaming disorder" as a mental illness, like drug or gambling(骕博)addiction.
"Video gaming is like a non-financial kind of gambling from a psychological point of view, " Mark Griffiths, a professor from Nottingham Trent University in the UK, told the Associated Press. "Gamblers use money as a way of keeping score, while gamers use points. "
However, playing your favorite game every now and then is no reason for you to be seen as the patient of this mental illness. People need to understand this doesn't mean every child who plays games is an addict, otherwise doctors will be flooded with requests for help.
But according to the WHO, if you lose control over your gaming habits and put gaming above everything else in life, you should be prepared to face serious problems. According to a study published by China Youth Day in July, about one in five young Chinese play online video games for at least four to five hours per day.
Thankfully, measures have been taken to address the problem, In April, the Ministry of Education issued a notice asking Chinese schools and parents to prevent students from becoming addicted to the Internet and games.
Other countries have also taken action. In 2011, South Korea passed a "shutdown law" to stop children under the age of16 from playing video games between the hours of midnight and 6 am. Meanwhile, in Japan, some mobile phones have a special mode for children that lets their parents control what games they can download and how long they can play them for. In the United States, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, a nonprofit organization, puts age restrictions on most games, meaning the children under a certain age are unable to buy them.
