Gaming is now an addiction recognised by the World Health Organisation

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified playing video games on the internet as an official mental health disorder.

Defined as ‘a pattern of gaming behavior 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.’

To be diagnosed with gaming disorder, the individual must

• Experience significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning

• Have experienced this impairment for at least 12 months

WHO advises gamers and parents to be mindful of how much time they, or their children, spend playing online games, particularly if it is to the exclusion of other daily activities, and be alert to changes in their ‘physical or psychological health and social functioning’ which could be attributed to gaming.

Wikipedia describes online gaming as

‘A video game that is either partially or primarily played through the Internet or any other computer network available.

Online games are ubiquitous on modern gaming platforms, including PCs, consoles and mobile devices, and span many genres, including first-person shooters, strategy games and massively multiplayer online role-playing games.

When are you ‘addicted’ to online gaming?

On a trial basis, the the American Psychiatric Association (APA) is proposing that a person receive the diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder, if at least five of the following nine characteristics apply to that person

• Preoccupation: Spends lots of time thinking about games, even when not playing them.

• Withdrawal: Feels restless when unable to play games

• Tolerance: Needs to play more, or play more powerful games, to get the same excitement as before.

• Reduce: Feels he or she should play less, but is unable to.

• Give up other activities: Reduces participation in other recreational activities

• Continue despite problems. Continues to play games despite knowing that they have a negative impact on his or her life

• Deceive: Lies about how much he or she games

• Escape mood: Plays games to reduce anxiety or stress

• Risk: Risks loss of significant relationships or employment because of games.

Gaming Addiction Treatment

The best way to treat an addiction to gaming is to abstain from playing or being involved in anything related to gaming.

However, this may be tough to do alone therefore it is highly recommended that professional help is sought after.

With the help and guidance of an addiction professional, counselling and therapy will be used assist in the recovery of a gaming addiction.

Cape Recovery is an addiction specialist clinic based in Cape Town, and online gaming addiction is a topic that they are dealing with more frequently of late.

They say that when gaming addiction exists alongside a substance addiction such as alcohol or drugs, they treat both addictions together in a suitable rehab facility. We do a full pre-assessment, find the most suitable place for you or a loved one and offer support at every step of the way for the client and their family.

Limiting your young children

Dr. Brent Conrad, author of ‘How to Help Children Addicted to Video Games – A Guide for Parents’ says that although most parents would be quite happy if their child’s computer gaming was limited to educational programs, the reality is that the computer games children play are primarily for pure entertainment, not for education.

He says that when children play age-appropriate computer games in moderation the research generally indicates that little (if any) harm comes from this, but that there children who play excessively, refuse to do anything else, and who make gaming the number one priority in their lives.

‘These children may be addicted to computer games,’ he says in an article on techaddition.com on which he offers the following advice

Ten tips for parents of children addicted to video games

1 Computer games should only be allowed after children have taken care of other responsibilities.

For example, parents are strongly advised to set a rule that video games can only be played after homework has been completed (and completed with effort).

2 To prevent computer addiction from taking hold and to regain control after it has been established, computer games should be played no more than one or two hours per day – especially during the school year.

3 These games can provide valuable free time for busy moms and dads, but parents need to make sure that computer games are not their child’s primary activity or form of entertainment. Decades ago, parents were warned about using television as a babysitter and the same advice now applies to computer games. It is absolutely critical to set and enforce firm daily limits as described in point number 2, above.

4 Access to computer games should be viewed as an earned privilege, not an automatic right.

5 Regardless of who ‘pays’ for the computer game, parents should always have final approval of any game that enters the home. Sometimes parents believe that if the child has earned his or her money (or even if it is an allowance) they should be free to spend it on whatever they like. Incorrect.

Children addicted to computer games very often prefer the more mature games (violent first person shooters, online role playing games) that should have never entered the home in the first place.

Parents should become very family with ESRB ratings and pre-screen all potential purchases. Doing so would almost certainly reduce the number of children addicted to computer games.

6 Related to the last point: if parents have children addicted to computer games, it is not enough to just know the ESRB rating of a potential game purchase. Traditional reviews for virtually any computer game can be found online.

7 If it is possible to do so, dedicate one computer or device for homework only, and one for gaming (if this is still permitted in moderation according to your rules). On the work computer, there should be no games installed, social networking sites like Facebook should be blocked, and gaming websites cannot be accessed. Therefore, when your child is using this computer, you can be reasonable confident that he or she is working – and not spending time playing computer games.

8 Keep computers and consoles out of a child’s bedroom. It is much easier to limit computer gaming (and monitor online activity) if computers are in open spaces or family rooms. To help children addicted to computer games this is perhaps the very first step parents should take.

9 One helpful tool for dealing with children addicted to computer games is the ‘Parental Control’ settings that are present on all modern game consoles. These password protected options usually allow parents to control what their children play and how much time is allotted. On the PC side, access to specific games as well as specific time limits can be set via third party software solutions. Make sure you learn how to set these options – they can be very helpful for helping children addicted to computer games.

10 Consider a ban on what are referred to as ‘Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games’ in your home. Even if the rating is within your child’s age range, these games are thought to have a much higher risk for addiction than other genres and should not be purchased if you worry about your child becoming addicted.

Why are video games so addictive?

1 The most addictive video games have no pre-defined ends. This is one of the central features of a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games) but it is also becoming true for many other genres as well. The most addictive video games have no ultimate goal or point at which a player can say ‘I’m finished. I have completed every quest – there is nothing new to discover’. As such, there is never the experience of ‘Game Over’ – a point which signifies the natural end to a game.

2 Addictive video games feed a need of making social connections. While video games used to be solitary activities, today’s games encourage, and in many ways, require that players interact socially with each other – which feeds the universal human need for interpersonal connections. Interestingly, these connections can come at the expense of real-world relationships.

3 Video games are more addictive when in-game rewards are based on a leveling system. When starting a new video game a player’s character begins with very basic attributes with regard to experience, strength, intelligence, courage, powers, etc. Initially, it takes very little play (perhaps minutes) to reach the next level and gain new skills – this is immediately rewarding and reinforces continued play. However, each successive level begins to take more play time to reach – eventually taking weeks or months to level-up. By this time however, the gamer has gradually adapted and accepted the greater effort required to reach the next level. Imagine if the very first levels (e.g from Level 1 to Level 2) took 1 month, rather than several minutes – how many players would find this rewarding enough to continue?

4 The more addictive video games often encourage play and collaboration with gamers worldwide. This is true of online multiplayer video games in general. The fact that two users on opposite sides of the world can interact and join together in a common quest adds to the excitement and exploratory nature of modern games.

5 Addictive video games often have some form of in-game currency. The same goals and emotions which drive people to pursue wealth in the real world are also present in video games. As one amasses more virtual wealth (by spending more time playing and completing tasks), the virtual wealth translates into greater power, control, respect, influence, status, and purchasing power – which are obviously very seductive pursuits.

6 It is easier to view video games as harmless online activities. Whereas there is far greater awareness of the dangers of alcohol abuse or gambling addiction, online gaming is generally seen as harmless hobby. Is it less harmful than alcohol addiction? Absolutely. Can most people play without becoming addicted? Sure. However, because of this it is also more difficult for players to recognize when they have a problem.

7 One important factor that makes video games addictive is that rewards often are set on variable schedules. It has been consistently demonstrated in psychological research that variable ratio (reinforced after an average number of attempts) or variable interval schedules (reinforced after an average time period has elapsed) produces a steady rate of responding and which is far more difficult to extinguish (e.g slot machines use variable ratio schedules to encourage maximum play time).

In an addictive video game, a player may be rewarded on average for every five (for example) tasks completed. Sometimes it will take only one try while other times it may take 15 – the player never really knows how long it will take before the big reward comes – but he knows that if he plays long enough it will come eventually. This type of reward schedule encourages longer periods of play even in the absence of rewards. For a more detailed analysis of the ways people respond to different patterns of in-game rewards, see the article Behavioral Game Design.

8 Addictive video games often require team play to advance. A player starting a new game will initially be able accomplish goals by him/herself. However, before long significant advancement in the game requires that he/she join a group and accomplish goals together. The player will come to feel a connection to the team and responsible for advancing their gaming goals. Therefore, the player will want to advance his character even more so that he can make a greater contribution to the team.

In fact, if he does not keep up with his team he may not even be able to join in on certain quests or travel to parts of the world requiring a more advanced character. Finally, since many tasks can only be accomplished in a group, the player will be want to be online whenever his teammates are playing (which translates into more total hours online). The team component is clearly a very important factor in why certain video games are addictive.

9 The virtual world of addictive video games continues to evolve even if the player is not online. Therefore, if you are not playing and active in the developments of the world, you are potentially left behind when you rejoin. To avoid ‘missing’ something you must play as much as possible.

10 Companies regularly release upgrades or expansion packs. Even if players start to get bored of the online worlds their characters inhabit, video game expansion packs can always add new areas for exploration, new abilities to try, new tasks to complete, and new characters to develop.

11 Top video game players or teams can earn real world rewards (e.g tournaments for cash prizes).

This can be extremely motivating and can encourage massive amounts of time to hone and develop skills (the equivalent of an athlete training for the Olympics).

12 Addictive video games do not reward short and unscheduled periods of play. Games that are very addictive require long-term commitments (months or years) of regular gaming sessions lasting at least an hour or more. MMOs, real time strategy games, and many first person shooters appeal to the hard core gamer who invests a significant portion of his free time to the experience. Due to the great investment (e.g., months developing a character) it becomes very hard to ‘throw away’ all the work and uninstall the game.

13 Addictive video games may allow the player to immerse him/herself in a fully realized virtual world. You can create your own character with attributes you wish you had in real life. You form relationships, develop a career, and accomplish things that would be impossible (or require far more effort) in the real world. Video games may offer an escape from the reality of the physical world and into a digital universe where players can assume any identity they desire.

14 Some video games require monthly fees. In order to play gamers must pay the equivalent of $15 – $20 per month even after the game has been purchased. Of course, the fact that there is a regular monthly charge encourages users to play more so that they ‘get their money’s worth’.

15 Video games can generate strong emotions in players. Because the world and the online experience is mostly user generated, gamers can experience wars, betrayal, friendship, romance, marriages, funerals, etc. The variety and intensity of emotions experienced online can be similar to emotions experienced in the real world.

Sources and referrals credited to

WHO (World Health Organisation) – Click here www.who.int

Psychology Today – www.psychologytoday.com

Tech Addiction: Effective help for video game and computer addiction: Click here techaddiction.co.za

Cape Recovery (Plettenburg Bay) – Email help@caperecovery.co.uk, call 083 6359419, for admissions and interventions please call 063 6748005

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