Video Game Addiction Now Recognized As A Mental Health Disorder

As of this past Saturday, those hours upon hours of playing your favorite video game(s) is now being considered a disease by the World Health Organization. One of the most striking additions to the International Classification of Diseases was video game addiction or “gaming disorder” under the category of “disorders due to addictive behavior.”

The ICD defines gaming disorder as “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior, which may be online or offline, manifested by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”