Its office, the World Health Organization (WHO), has classified the act of ‘internet gaming’ as a disorder that can be diagnosed. Yet many skeptics (experts in their own right) still don’t feel it exists. The WHO officially calls it a gaming disorder, and they have officially added it as a disorder. Whether the rest of the world is fully accepting it is still up for debate.
It may seem that, on the surface, it makes sense. We see how we communicate with AI services such as Alexa or Siri, and we tend to see those around us constantly glued to their mobile phones. Consider that there are those that spend considerable amounts of time online playing video games, such as the likes of Fortnite, only to get up to grab some food or drink.
They definitely need some support to break this bad habit, yet classifying this as an actual disorder may not be the right direction to go. There are psychologists out there that aren’t completely sure if it’s enough of an issue on its own and that there’s the potential to have too many with this diagnosis since it’s all still not fully clear.
What this may be instead is a cautionary tale when the lines between a poor habit and a disorder become blurred. As more research and studies are done, there’s more evidence to push this issue into a disorder, and the people who have it called patients.
Scott Lilienfeld, one of Emory University’s professors of psychology, feels that “we need to ask what is the difference between a disorder and a poor habit, and where is the reference line between the two? Some, including myself, believe it’s not so easy, and others feel the opposite. Regardless, we need to take care in how we classify such issues”
The W.H.O. does define what the gaming disorder is, and it is gaming behavior that has users unable to take control of their gaming habits. It has people give more time and priority to gaming, to the point where it comes ahead of other activities and interests. It also concludes that some continue to increase their gaming habits without heeding the negative consequences of it.
Due to it being a diagnosis, it can affect a huge portion of the global population. There’s already an estimate that nearly 9% of all gamers have this disorder, meaning millions of players worldwide, who are also predominately younger, could be classified with this disorder.
Dr. Clifford Sussman, who helps to treat compulsive gaming as a psychiatrist in Washington, said this, “I see my patients truly affected. They have a problem, and it negatively affects many aspects of their lives, from their moods and social life to their performance at school.”
He continued, “In the end, regardless of whether it’s classified as a disorder or not, it’s an issue, and the habit needs to be controlled with the right tools to ensure a better lifestyle.”
There are many psychiatrists in the industry who agree with this sentiment and have already been successfully treating this compulsion. Yet the APA (American Psychological Association) still has issues with the diagnosis.
The APA still considers the definition provided is still not fully clear and that there may be other underlying issues that cause too much gaming, such as mood issues, and not the other way around. This isn’t anything new, as there’s always been this fear related to technology, from the Radio to Television, and internet gaming simply being the latest.
Christopher Ferguson who is a psychologist from Stetson University, believes that “There is a modicum of accuracy and truth in this, but we need to dig deeper as we don’t see the full picture of the situation”
He goes on to state that the science itself is still in its early days, and there’s still no standard example that can showcase the disorder in the brain.
A study that occurred recently took a small sample (less than 40) who had internet gaming disorder and scanned their activity in an MRI. The researchers did discover, based on those that didn’t have such immense gaming desires, that the people with the disorder “had a thinner cortical material, specifically in the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex, and other areas such as the right middle temporal gyrus.”
Other studies showcased images of the brains of patients with this disorder that had a “weaker connectivity with the left middle frontal and precentral gyrus and the left amygdala”.
While it sounds very scientific, there’s not a lot of research into those areas, to begin with, meaning trying to draw a conclusion related to a gamer’s brain imaging with this information is not saying much.
It gets more dangerous as there have been studies already done on how to treat cases of this disorder, and the results lead to antidepressant usage. While the study mentioned that the symptoms of depression were alleviated, there weren’t any findings if they stopped their gaming habits for any significant timeframe.
Dr. Lilienfeld concluded this, “Since classification as a disorder, people will start to look for the issue, and the possible solution, regardless if it’s even possible.”
It’s gotten a bit strange with some studies already claiming that spending a week with horse-related activities helps to reduce anxiety and avoidance issues in those that had this disorder.
Of course, it’s an older practice to use horses in therapy for those that have intense brain issues such as brain damage or autism.
The verdict is still out, as they say, on whether the inclusion of this new disorder by the W.H.O. will lead to stronger forms of research and better treatment methods. However, it also sets a precedent on how to handle it by using similar approaches to serious disorders where this one still may simply be a bad habit that requires just a bit more extra discipline and not the need for psychotherapy and medication yet.
