AMA To Recognize Game Addiction?

Mike Fahey — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 08:20:59 MDT

Do you spend all of your free time playing or reading about computer and video games? Ask your doctor about...

It's not as far-fetched as it sounds, especially now that the American Medical Association is looking to get video game addiction recognized as a formal diagnostic disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - think of it as a strategy guide for mental disorders. A report entitled Emotional and Behavioral Effects, Including Addictive Potential, of Video Games (click for HTML version) presented by Dr, Mohamed K. Kahn explores the possible dangers of excessive video game play (over 2 hours a day...uh oh) and makes several recommendations as to how the AMA should handle said problems. In addition to suggesting a formal classification, the paper also calls for the improvement of the ESRB ratings system, an official recommendation that children be limited to 1-2 hours of 'screen time' overall, including television and gaming, and that the CDC and other organizations fund research to further explore the detrimental effects of video games in children.

My personal gaming bias aside, I can think of about 20 million other things I would rather have the CDC doing rather than watching children with diodes on their heads play Frogger - not that that wouldn't be immensely entertaining. Saving us from another black plague, for instance.

If gaming addiction were to become a recognized mental disorder, what doors would that open? Gaming addiction as a legal defense? Rehab clinics? Anti-gamer bias for insurance coverage? I should stop speculating before I freak myself out. Michael Fahey

American Doctors Want Videogame 'Addiction' Recognised [Spong.com]

Kotaku: playing doctor

AMA To Recognize Game Addiction?