Video Game Addiction: A Possibly Serious Disease

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A committee of physicians has proposed that video game addiction be listed as a mental disorder in the American Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders. Several addiction experts do not believe it is in the same level of alcoholism or other substance addictions, and video game playing is rather harmless.

Dr. Louis Kraus of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry thinks there might not be an issue with excessive game playing, but definitely is concerned with the overall effect.

"The more time kids spend on video games, the less time they will have socializing, the less time they will have with their families, the less time they will have exercising," Kraus said. "They can make up academic deficits, but they can’t make up the social ones."

Holy stereotyping, Batman! Yes, because all serious gamers are of the basement-dweller variety. And video games are nothing at all like watching copious amounts of television.

As of yet, more research is needed before excessive playing can be termed as a disorder. If successfully determined, there might be a chance for game addicts to receive appropriate insurance for the illness.

I can see it now. Video game addiction will become the new "borderline personality disorder" in terms of over-diagnosis. It kind of makes me fear for the future.