What Is Video Game Addiction?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstanding Video Game AddictionSignsDiagnosisEffectsTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Understanding Video Game Addiction

Signs

Diagnosis

Effects

Treatment

Coping

Video game addiction is the compulsive or uncontrolled use of video games, in a way that causes problems in other areas of the person’s life.

Often considered a form of computer addiction orinternet addiction, video game addiction has been an increasing concern for parents as video games have become more commonplace and are often targeted at children.

Since the 1950s, gaming has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. Some people are concerned about the long-term effects of video game playing, particularly in children. Concerns center on the following questions:

While research is inconclusive, there does appear to be evidence that video games can be harmful, can increase aggression, and can be addictive.However, these effects are highly individual and may involve many more factors than simply the amount of time spent playing games.

Signs of Video Game Addiction

Some symptoms of video game addiction can include:

Playing video games a lot is not necessarily a sign of a video game addiction, however. Some people are simply very enthusiastic about them and that is how they enjoy spending their free time. If gaming creates distress and interferes with a person’s ability to function in their life, then it might be a sign that there is a problem.

How Common Is Video Game Addiction?Research studies show that 1% to 16% of video gamers meet the criteria for addiction.However, the official definition of video game addiction varies across different organizations. Considering this, it is easy to be confused about whether your or someone else’s gaming falls in the average or heavy ranges.

How Common Is Video Game Addiction?

Research studies show that 1% to 16% of video gamers meet the criteria for addiction.However, the official definition of video game addiction varies across different organizations. Considering this, it is easy to be confused about whether your or someone else’s gaming falls in the average or heavy ranges.

As with all addictions, it is important when considering the possibility of a video game addiction to not simply consider the amount of time spent gaming, but also the function it is serving the individual. Video game playing, as one of a range of recreational activities, may not be harmful or indicate an addiction.

When game playing is addictive, it takes over as the person’s main way of coping with life, with other important areas of life being neglected or disrupted as a result.

Video game addiction or video game overuse is seen most commonly in players of the persistent multiplayer gaming universe, or Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game—MMORPG games for short. MMORPGs make up 25% of gaming revenue worldwide. These games hold many attractions for gamers—they are interactive, social, competitive, and happen in real-time.

Research indicates that MMORPGs are more addictive in nature. As a result, they tend to have greater negative impacts on physical health, sleep habits and academic performance.

Diagnosis of Video Game Addiction

Like otherbehavioral addictions, video game addiction is a controversial idea. While video gaming research is showing some disturbing effects, particularly in younger players, there is a lack of long-term research and insufficient evidence to definitively conclude that video game overuse is indeed an addiction.

In addition, cautionary messages from groups, such as the American Medical Association, which believes that video games are potentially harmful, have to compete with the aggressive marketing of the video games industry, whose own research, unsurprisingly, shows no ill effects.

Currently, it is not recognized as a distinct condition in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM-5-TR), the “gold standard” reference for mental health conditions. Internet gaming disorder, however, is included as a condition for further study in the DSM.

Although it is not yet recognized fully as a disorder, proposed criteria have been published.

To be diagnosed, gaming behavior must be severe enough that it creates significant problems in different areas of life, including home, work, family, school, and other areas. Symptoms must also be present for a year or longer.

Similarity to Other Addictions

As with other addictions, gaming addicts become preoccupied with game-playing, and it disrupts family and other areas of life, such as school.

The younger that children begin playing video games, the more likely they are to develop dependence-like behaviors.

As with other addictive behaviors, there is a range of different responses to the activity. While some gamers feel unable to reduce the time they spend playing, others do not experience cravings if they are unable to play.

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Effects of Video Game Addiction

Research on people who are addicted to video games shows that they have poorer mental health and cognitive functioning including poorer impulse control andADHD symptoms, compared to people who do not have video game addiction.

People who are addicted to video games also have increased emotional difficulties, including increased depression and anxiety, report feeling more socially isolated, and are more likely to have problems with internet pornography use.

Treatment for Video Game Addiction

Cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) is a type of therapy that can be helpful in the treatment of behavioral addictions such as video game addiction.

Working with a therapist, people learn to identify the thoughts that contribute to excessive, compulsive video game use. Once people learn to recognize these thoughts, they can then work to replace them with ones that are more helpful and productive.

Therapy can also help people develop different coping strategies to deal with feelings of stress and distract themselves from urges to play video games.

Coping With Video Game Addiction

If you suspect that you have a video game addiction or simply want to reduce your video game use, there are strategies you can use that can help. Some things you can try include:

If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Li AY, Chau CL, Cheng C.Development and validation of a parent-based program for preventing gaming disorder: The game over intervention.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(11). doi:10.3390/ijerph16111984Jeromin F, Nyenhuis N, Barke A.Attentional bias in excessive internet gamers: Experimental investigations using an addiction Stroop and a visual probe.J Behav Addict. 2016;5(1):32-40. doi:10.1556/2006.5.2016.012Hong JS, Kim SM, Jung JW, Kim SY, Chung US, Han DH.A comparison of risk and protective factors for excessive internet game play between Koreans in Korea and immigrant Koreans in the United States.J Korean Med Sci.2019;34(23):e162. doi:10.3346/jkms.2019.34.e162American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Yao M, Zhou Y, Li J, Gao X.Violent video games exposure and aggression: The role of moral disengagement, anger, hostility, and disinhibition.Aggress Behav. 2019;45(6):662-670. doi:10.1002/ab.21860Ra CK, Cho J, Stone MD, et al.Association of digital media use with subsequent symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among adolescents.JAMA. 2018;320(3):255-263. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.8931Stockdale L, Coyne SM.Video game addiction in emerging adulthood: Cross-sectional evidence of pathology in video game addicts as compared to matched healthy controls.J Affect Disord. 2018;225:265-272. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.08.045

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Li AY, Chau CL, Cheng C.Development and validation of a parent-based program for preventing gaming disorder: The game over intervention.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(11). doi:10.3390/ijerph16111984Jeromin F, Nyenhuis N, Barke A.Attentional bias in excessive internet gamers: Experimental investigations using an addiction Stroop and a visual probe.J Behav Addict. 2016;5(1):32-40. doi:10.1556/2006.5.2016.012Hong JS, Kim SM, Jung JW, Kim SY, Chung US, Han DH.A comparison of risk and protective factors for excessive internet game play between Koreans in Korea and immigrant Koreans in the United States.J Korean Med Sci.2019;34(23):e162. doi:10.3346/jkms.2019.34.e162American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Yao M, Zhou Y, Li J, Gao X.Violent video games exposure and aggression: The role of moral disengagement, anger, hostility, and disinhibition.Aggress Behav. 2019;45(6):662-670. doi:10.1002/ab.21860Ra CK, Cho J, Stone MD, et al.Association of digital media use with subsequent symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among adolescents.JAMA. 2018;320(3):255-263. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.8931Stockdale L, Coyne SM.Video game addiction in emerging adulthood: Cross-sectional evidence of pathology in video game addicts as compared to matched healthy controls.J Affect Disord. 2018;225:265-272. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.08.045

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Li AY, Chau CL, Cheng C.Development and validation of a parent-based program for preventing gaming disorder: The game over intervention.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(11). doi:10.3390/ijerph16111984Jeromin F, Nyenhuis N, Barke A.Attentional bias in excessive internet gamers: Experimental investigations using an addiction Stroop and a visual probe.J Behav Addict. 2016;5(1):32-40. doi:10.1556/2006.5.2016.012Hong JS, Kim SM, Jung JW, Kim SY, Chung US, Han DH.A comparison of risk and protective factors for excessive internet game play between Koreans in Korea and immigrant Koreans in the United States.J Korean Med Sci.2019;34(23):e162. doi:10.3346/jkms.2019.34.e162American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Yao M, Zhou Y, Li J, Gao X.Violent video games exposure and aggression: The role of moral disengagement, anger, hostility, and disinhibition.Aggress Behav. 2019;45(6):662-670. doi:10.1002/ab.21860Ra CK, Cho J, Stone MD, et al.Association of digital media use with subsequent symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among adolescents.JAMA. 2018;320(3):255-263. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.8931Stockdale L, Coyne SM.Video game addiction in emerging adulthood: Cross-sectional evidence of pathology in video game addicts as compared to matched healthy controls.J Affect Disord. 2018;225:265-272. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.08.045

Li AY, Chau CL, Cheng C.Development and validation of a parent-based program for preventing gaming disorder: The game over intervention.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(11). doi:10.3390/ijerph16111984

Jeromin F, Nyenhuis N, Barke A.Attentional bias in excessive internet gamers: Experimental investigations using an addiction Stroop and a visual probe.J Behav Addict. 2016;5(1):32-40. doi:10.1556/2006.5.2016.012

Hong JS, Kim SM, Jung JW, Kim SY, Chung US, Han DH.A comparison of risk and protective factors for excessive internet game play between Koreans in Korea and immigrant Koreans in the United States.J Korean Med Sci.2019;34(23):e162. doi:10.3346/jkms.2019.34.e162

American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.

Yao M, Zhou Y, Li J, Gao X.Violent video games exposure and aggression: The role of moral disengagement, anger, hostility, and disinhibition.Aggress Behav. 2019;45(6):662-670. doi:10.1002/ab.21860

Ra CK, Cho J, Stone MD, et al.Association of digital media use with subsequent symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among adolescents.JAMA. 2018;320(3):255-263. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.8931

Stockdale L, Coyne SM.Video game addiction in emerging adulthood: Cross-sectional evidence of pathology in video game addicts as compared to matched healthy controls.J Affect Disord. 2018;225:265-272. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.08.045

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