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Video Game Addiction Could Be Recognised As An Official Disease

Video Game Addiction Could Be Recognised As An Official Disease

Experts at the World Health Assembly in Geneva are set to vote next week on whether they approve gaming disorder as a disease

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

Remember when Fortnite was released, when we were reading stories left, right and centre about gaming addictions? A nine-year-old girl was sent into rehab, a doctor wrote a prescription banning the video game and even Prince Harry had a thing or two to say.

Petitions called for bans on 'addictive' games, and by June 2018 gaming addictions were officially classified as a mental disorder.

But now, video game addiction could soon become an official disease, according to The Telegraph, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) is set to cast a vote on the issue next week.

Should video game addiction be classed as a disease?
PA

Experts will be attending the WHO Assembly in Geneva to make the decision, a year after plans were announced to include the disorder in the revised International Classification of Diseases, otherwise known as ICD-11.

Currently, gaming disorder is defined by the WHO as a pattern of gaming behavior ('digital-gaming' or 'video-gaming') characterised 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.

Guidelines state that for the disorder to be diagnosed, the behaviour pattern must be 'of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning and would normally have been evident for at least 12 months'.

The decision on whether gaming disorders should be classified as diseases will be made next week.
PA

The Telegraph reports that if the decision is made to make the addiction an official disease, it's likely to face some push-backs.

The non-profit International Game Developers Association, for instance, has previously warned that it would rebuke any decision to classify gaming as a disorder.

According to the publication, gaming giants such as Microsoft have said they will attempt to put more control in the hands of the parents whose children are spending too much time on video games.

Games such as Fortnite could result in the disorder and potential disease.
Epic Games

When Prince Harry was asked for his opinion on gaming addictions, he said: "A game like Fortnite for instance may not be so good for children. Parents have got their hands up; they don't know what to do about it."

He also added: "Fortnite shouldn't be allowed. Where is the benefit in having that game in your household?"

One person who knows about this all too well is a mother of a child that found herself so engrossed in Fortnite that she regularly wet herself and was falling asleep in class.

The girl's folks say they were first alerted to a problem when they noticed payments totaling around £50 on their credit card and suspected their daughter.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: gaming news, GAMING, News