Internet Gaming Disorder: Being Addicted to Video Games?
Rob Marshall, MSW & Shinavia McKinney, MA
September 15th, 2023
“Gaming” refers to video games – it can be through a gaming console, a computer, tablet, or even a mobile device. With the very first console being released in 1972, gaming has been alive for just over 50 years. It has grown into its own culture, with at least one gamer residing in 2/3 of all American households. It has even become a profession. With the constant state of advancement, video games have evolved in their complexity, realism, plots, themes, and level of engagement.
But can gaming become an addiction? With all these advances to improve immersion, people are tempted to invest more time, money, and attention to the activity. So, can it become obsessive? And even harmful?
Addiction is essentially a condition in which a person engages in compulsive actions that have harmful consequences. Therefore, addiction is not just substance-based; there are behavioral addictions, such as gambling and sex. Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is officially mentioned in The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), a reference book for mental health professionals that houses all scientifically supported mental health and brain-related conditions and disorders.
Below are the behaviors typically associated with someone struggling with IGD. If a person exhibits five of these symptoms within a year’s time, then their well-being could be of concern.
1. Preoccupation with gaming
One of the more apparent signs is the person’s unwavering fixation on gaming; it consumes their thoughts when not engaged in gaming.
2. Withdrawal Symptoms
When the person is unable to engage in gaming, they may have emotional reactions such as sadness, anxiety, and irritability.
3. Tolerance
The person invests an increasing amount of time into gaming. They may play for several hours at a time with little to no break.
4. Inability to curtail gaming
The person repeatedly fails to reduce or quit their gaming. This can be hard to identify if the person makes no effort to address the issue and constantly reassures, “I can stop whenever I want.
5. Loss in interest in other activities
The person will greatly reduce or completely abandon other activities.
6. Gaming despite the consequences
The person will continue to game even when there are negative consequences. They may even acknowledge these consequences yet still maintain the fixation.
7. Deception and secrecy
Hiding their level of gaming from others, usually to avoid shame or persecution.
8. Emotional Escapism
Relying on gaming to escape negative emotions or experiences. While it is typical to use enjoyable and immersible activities as temporary emotional relief, when gaming becomes the sole coping mechanism in place of acknowledging and dealing with those emotions and the issues attached to them, then it becomes problematic.
9. Risking Relationships and Livelihoods
Arguably the most destructive symptom of IGD. This is when a person’s personal and professional life begins to fall apart. They begin to lose relationships, compromise their professional success, and exhaust financial resources due to excess gaming.
Keep in mind that IGD is acknowledged under the DSM-5-TR’s section for disorders that are recommended for further research, which means it cannot yet be used as a formal diagnosis; there is still more to learn about the condition. However, it is prevalent enough for it to be proposed as a concern, and its significance should not be overlooked. People with IGD are struggling and need support. Therefore, the way to approach someone suspected of IGD should be done the same as someone with any other addiction: with care, compassion, and professional intervention. There could possibly be other underlying mental health concerns that require appropriate therapeutic treatment.
