Is internet and gaming addiction a disorder?

Only 14 years ago, the Internet was a phenomenon. Today, doctors want to call internet addiction a mental health disorder. The American Medical Association is preparing to recognize ‘Internet/video game addiction’ as a ‘formal diagnostic disorder’ as reported by Spong News.

This move would have wide ranging implications within the law as the ever-growing list of lawyers attempting to blame ’sick video games’ for crimes ranging from street robbery to mass murder, call on a medically-recognized disorder to bolster their defense. It will also inevitably lead to pharmaceutical companies coming out with a range of high-priced and pointless cures that can be dumped inside people. The proposal comes in the form of a ‘Report Of The Council On Science And Public Health: Emotional and Behavioral Effects, Including Addictive Potential, of Video Games” chaired by Mohamed K. Khan, MD, Phd.

The report mentions the definition of a gamer:

“A gamer is a term used to describe a person who plays games. Historically, a gamer was someone who played role-playing games or war games, but more recently the term has come to include computer and video game players. Although the term technically includes those who do not necessarily consider themselves gamers (ie, casual gamers), it is a commonly used colloquial term to identify persons who spend as much of their leisure time as possible playing or reading about games. Video gaming has traditionally been a social experience, and most video games are playable by more than one person. Multi-player video games can be played either competitively or cooperatively online by using multiple input devices, or by “hotseating.”

Now, I’m no doctor but I don’t get why internet addiction could be in the same criteria as gaming? I thought for some people, internet is a way of life — like online shopping, internet banking, etc.

So, anybody here qualifies as a gaming addict? You might want to check with your insurance company for some added coverage on mental health benefits.

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