The World Health Organization in May added “gaming disorder” to its list of official diseases.
Characterized by WHO as “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior,” the malady is as real as any addiction (think gambling, drugs, alcohol, nicotine).
But not everyone is convinced.
A pair of researchers in the UK suggest those engaged in “dysfunctional gaming” are likely suffering wider psychosocial issues, which lead them to seek contentment in gaming, “rather than being negatively impacted by gaming itself.”
“For the first time we apply motivational theory and open science principles to investigate if psychological need satisfactions and frustrations in adolescents’ daily lives are linked to dysregulated—or obsessive—gaming engagement,” according to study co-author Andrew Przybylski, director of research at the Oxford Internet Institute.
More than 1,000 participants aged 14 to 15 completed surveys about their behavior, providing details about how long they spent playing video games, with whom they play, and whether they stream games over the Internet.
Caregivers also rated their child’s emotional and social health.
While most kids copped to playing at least one Internet-based game daily for an average of three hours, fewer than half of respondents reported symptoms of obsessive gaming.
“Our findings provided no evidence suggesting an unhealthy relationship with gaming accounts for substantial emotional, peer, or behavioral problems,” Przybylski said. “Instead, variations in gaming experience are much more likely to be linked to whether adolescents’ basic psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and social belonging are being met and if they are already experiencing wider functioning issues.
“In light of our findings,” he continued, “we do not believe sufficient evidence exists to warrant thinking about gaming as a clinical disorder in its own right.”
Yet, health problems as a result of excessive use have been documented—sometimes with grave consequences.
“We urge healthcare professionals to look more closely at the underlying factors such as psychological satisfactions and everyday frustrations to understand why a minority of players feel like they must engage in gaming in an obsessive way,” study co-author Netta Weinstein, senior lecturer at the University of Cardiff’s School of Psychology, said.
The inclusion of “gaming disorder” in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)—used to diagnose and categorize conditions—is not a quick fix for those suffering. It merely means their ailment has an official name and may be taken slightly more seriously by medical practitioners.
“Whilst the growing popularity of gaming has incited concerns from health care and mental health professions, our research provides no compelling evidence that games, on their own, are to blame for problems facing players,” Przybylski added. “We need better data and the cooperation of video gaming companies if we are to get to the bottom of all this.”
Read the full study, published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science.
More on Geek.com:
- Analogue Pocket Saves the History of Handheld Gaming
- Oxford University Study: Go Ahead, Give Kids More Screen Time
- This Guy Officially Has the World’s Largest Video Game Collection
from Geek.com https://ift.tt/2N9IibS
via IFTTT
0 comments:
Post a Comment