If you are gaming freak, the new year may bear some evil tidings.
World Health Organisation is all set to categorise gaming addiction as a disorder when it comes out with eleventh edition of the International Classification of Diseases. The manual was last updated in 1990. In a draft ICD, WHO said: “Gaming disorder is characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour (‘digital gaming’ or ‘video-gaming’), which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by: 1) impaired control over gaming (e.g., onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context); 2) increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and 3) continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”
The documents goes on to say: “The behaviour pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning. The pattern of gaming behaviour may be continuous or episodic and recurrent. The gaming behaviour and other features are normally evident over a period of at least 12 months in order for a diagnosis to be assigned, although the required duration may be shortened if all diagnostic requirements are met and symptoms are severe.”
That gaming is addictive is something anyone in the habit of playing online games would vouch for but a possible inclusion in the ICD takes it to the same category as a selfie obsession which many experts feel is a mental disorder.
