What is gaming disorder?

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There are countless articles circulating about video games and whether they are good or bad for children. Unfortunately for parents, the answer isn’t as simple as Pong, the first widely played video game:

Two players each control one paddle.?

One ball bounces between them.

A player gets a point if their opponent misses it.?

If only conversations around present day gaming were so straightforward.?

It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come since 1972. Video games can connect people from around the world. Gamers can build entire civilizations and tell complicated and exciting stories. And with the introduction of virtual reality, players can immerse themselves in all kinds of experiences from the safety of their living rooms.?

But safety is relative, right? I don’t want to be another parent ranting about the dangers of the digital world, but we can agree that it poses risks. According to Sheera Frenkel and Kellen Browning’s New York Times article, The Metaverse’s Dark Side: Here Come Harassment and Assaults, “Harassment, assaults, bullying and hate speech already run rampant in virtual reality games.” Virtual reality is so intriguing because every aspect of the experience is heightened, which makes any harassment that much more palpable.?

And because “V.R. is a whole other world of complexity,” methods of both pinpointing and indefinitely blocking abusers are still being developed. It’s much more difficult to moderate.

Even if our kids aren’t dealing with predators or abusers in the virtual space, they may be facing challenges with overuse, misuse and addiction. In the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases, “gaming disorder” is defined as “a pattern of gaming behavior (‘digital-gaming’ or ‘video-gaming’) characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”

The 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases only went into effect in 2022, meaning before now, WHO did not classify “gaming disorder” as an addictive behavior. When I think of the long journey that treatment of alcohol use disorder has taken (cocaine was used as an early treatment in the 1880s), I worry about the options out there for people struggling with the newly termed gaming disorder. And with gaming technology constantly updating, treatments must be quick to adapt, too. But resources are on the rise.

First of all, American Addiction Centers lays out key warning signs to watch for:

• Poor performance at school, work, or household responsibilities as a result of a preoccupation with gaming
• Neglect of other hobbies or friendships
• A decline in personal hygiene or grooming
• Inability to set limits on how much time is spent gaming
• Signs of irritability, anxiety, or anger when forced to stop gaming, even for brief periods of time
• The need to spend more time playing games or to play more intensely in order to get the same level of enjoyment
• Symptoms of physical or psychological withdrawal, such as loss of appetite, sleeplessness, agitation, or emotional outbursts if the game is taken away
• Using video games as a way to escape stressful situations at work or school, or conflicts at home

For treatment options, Psychiatric Times suggests “cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused therapy.” There’s also Online Gamers Anonymous, modeled after traditional 12-step recovery programs. For adolescents, there are self-discovery camps, which early studies indicate can help reduce gaming time. And some doctors are prescribing Bupropion, a medication commonly used to treat depression and ADHD.?

There is no one-size-fits-all fix. And like so many things, gaming can be great in moderation. Video games can be fun, build community, promote education, and gamers can be found to have “improved attention and visuospatial skills,” according to Psychiatric Times. But as parents, it’s our role is to keep an eye on our child’s relationship to video games.?

Mayo Clinic provides these tips:

• Follow guidelines for screen time, such as those suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• Model healthy use of screens and video games. Consider unplugging when you first get home from work, at dinner and when driving. Model other methods of relaxation and entertainment, such as taking a walk, playing a game, having a dance party or reading a book.
• Encourage a balance between screen time and activities that require in-person social interactions, such as family activities or extracurricular activities.
• Create structured, screen-free times, such as during mealtimes, in the mornings and before bedtime.
• Consider using apps that control the length of time your child can use a device.
• Keep screens out of bedrooms.
• Require that all devices be charged outside of bedrooms at night.
• Learn about the game rating categories and only allow your children to play video games suitable for their ages.

Growing up in the era of Pong could never prepare us for these challenges, but the good news is, if you or a loved one is struggling with gaming disorder, you are not alone.?

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