Playing video games, or more simply gaming, can be a fun pastime. However, if your gaming takes up so much of your time that it creates problems in your daily life and adversely affects your relationships, you may have developed gaming disorder, also known as video game addiction. If so, it’s important that you get help.
If you have gaming disorder, you find it difficult to control how much you game and you may even need to game increasingly more before you feel satisfied. You have problems with how often and how long you game, and you may find that your gaming takes over and that it’s difficult to stop. When addicted to gaming, it’s also common for your gaming to have adverse effects on your everyday life, such as skipping school or prioritizing gaming over other hobbies or hanging out with friends IRL.
Video game addiction is different to gambling addiction. It’s not a matter of money, instead it’s similar to substance abuse and has major adverse effects on your life.
Gaming disorder has been classified as a disease by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2018.
When your gaming develops into an addiction, it has adverse effects on your life. Your gaming can cause problems in your family relationships and result in more arguments than normal. You may also stop socializing with friends and may have difficulty coping with work or studies. When gaming takes up most of your time, it can also mean that you neglect other important things. You may become more easily irritated and moody if you can’t game. Perhaps you’ve turned your days upside down, staying up at night gaming and not getting enough sleep.
Who develops gaming disorder and why varies from person to person. For example, you may experience difficulties with social interaction or feel lonely. In such cases, gaming can offer you the opportunity to be part of a community. You may be going through a rough period in your life or have experienced difficult events in the past. In such cases, gaming can be a way for you to deal with difficult emotions.
If you have autism, ADHD or a mental health condition, it may be easier for you to begin gaming excessively. Video games are designed to draw you in, to keep you playing, and everyone is different in how hard they find it to resist the temptation to game increasingly more. As such, it’s easier for some people to develop a gaming addiction than others.
If you suspect you have gaming disorder, it’s important that you get help to break the habit and improve your wellbeing.
Reviewed by: Lisa Thorell, professor of developmental psychology at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet.
Last edited 2024-04-30