video game addiction

Video game addiction is a new phenomenon and is still not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual as a legitimate mental disorder. However, many therapists and clinicians report that a sub-population of video game players can become obsessive about their game playing to the point that they ignore real-world relationships and withdraw into the virtual world. Some reports from China show severe problems such as video game players not drinking, eating, or sleeping for days at a time, with even some deaths reported. Video game addiction is characterized by long periods of withdrawal from the real world, anger and hostility toward anyone who attempts to limit their playing, depression, sleep problems, and reduced social functioning.



Articles Related to video game addiction

Video Games May Hamper Academic Development in Some Children

Parents may want to encourage moderation when it comes to their kids’ video game habits. According to new findings in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, video games may hamper academic development in some children.
March 11th, 2010 | Internet & Video Game Addiction | Read More

Dr. Phil Confronts Mom about Online Game Addiction

On a recent episode of his talk show, Dr. Phil confronted a mother (identified as Teresa) about her addiction to the Internet game “FarmVille,” saying she would be better served to go out and “start a garden for real.” Zynga’s crop-tending game is a popular application on...
January 25th, 2010 | Internet & Video Game Addiction | Read More

Man’s Video Game Addiction Gets Him Caught on Drug Charges

Two weeks ago, a man wanted on drug charges was caught through another addiction—playing the role-playing computer videogame “World of Warcraft.”
January 4th, 2010 | Internet & Video Game Addiction | Read More

Link Discovered Between Teen Internet Addiction and Violent Behavior

Teenagers who are preoccupied with the Internet may be more prone to aggressive behavior, new research finds. In a study of more than 9,400 Taiwanese teenagers, those with signs of Internet addiction were more likely to say they had hit, shoved, or threatened someone in the past year. The link remained...
August 6th, 2009 | Types of Addiction | Read More

One in Ten Youth are Addicted to Video Games

Many people casually joke that their children are “addicted” to television or video games, but a recent study from Iowa State University shows that nearly one in ten American youths (aged 8 to 18) are pathological video game players. This means their video game habits cause family, social, school,...
June 3rd, 2009 | Addiction in the Media | Read More