Are video games really addictive? | Marc Lewis

‘Gaming disorder’ is now a medical diagnosis. But evidence of real harm is scant, and even compulsive play can have benefits

I don’t have serious arguments with my kids very often. My 12-year-old twin boys are well-mannered and cooperative. But last week they had me spitting mad. I had to ask again and again, and finally to cajole, bribe, and threaten to get them to turn off their Playstation and get in the car. Their screen time wasn’t up yet, they shot back. I don’t care, I hissed: we have to go shoe shopping. But we’re in the middle of a game!

Of course video games can seem addictive. Almost every parent, or adult gamer, appreciates that. So the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) just added a “gaming disorder” diagnosis to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), fitting snugly next to substance use disorders, pathological gambling and the rest, isn’t a big shock. But is addiction to video games a “real” addiction? Is an obsession with Fortnite as bad as an alcohol problem?

Related: 'It consumed my life': inside a gaming addiction treatment centre

Related: The creators of the Fortnite craze have crossed an ethical line | Gaby Hinsliff

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2yxRPFU