How to Spot Gaming Disorder in Teenagers

Most middle school and high school students have grown up with smartphones and computers for gaming and texting their friends. This raises a common argument about how much time teens are spending online. Many parents have concerns that their teenager is addicted to their smartphone and gaming. Teenagers feel that their parents are overreacting and they can’t become addicted to their devices.

However, the truth is teenagers can become addicted to their computer devices. The World Health Organization (WHO) took a step this year and classified “ Gaming Disorder ” as a formal diagnosis. As stated, many parents have been concerned about this for years. What's more, it does not just impact teenagers, as many may believe. I have had couples come in for marriage counselling because Gaming was destroying their marriage. For several years the American Psychological Association (APA) has said it would be adding Gaming Addiction, as a formal diagnosis, to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. They have, however, not been able to decide on the specific criteria for the diagnosis. What the WHO has done nonetheless acknowledges what many parents have been reporting and this helps us to take a step towards Gaming being acknowledged as a diagnosis.

The United States appears to be behind other countries in identifying that video game addiction does exist and does create problems for individuals and families. During the Winter Olympics this year, NBC showed centres in Tokyo, Japan and Seoul, South Korea, where people were going for gaming addiction. These rehabilitation centres have been open for years and have treated thousands of people.

As a psychotherapist who treats teenagers, I would have to agree with parents, I believe Gaming Addiction is real. I have seen teenagers become violent, punch holes in walls and physically threaten their parents, if their video games or cellphones are taken away as a punishment. Teenagers have told me they cannot function without their video games or cellphones and will do anything to get them back. This sounds like and looks like a problem to me. A cellphone or PlayStation should not be a teenager’s lifeline.

The statement from the WHO claims that Gaming must be interfering with activities of daily life, such as homework, and be present for at least a year. These guidelines seem sensible to me. The WHO also cautions that issues such as depression and anxiety need to be ruled out before assigning the diagnosis of Gaming Addiction. Many teenagers who are depressed or dealing with severe anxiety self-medicate with video games. Finally, the WHO states your child needs to be evaluated by a mental health clinician who specializes in treating and assessing children and teenagers. This is very important because children and teenagers do not always have the typical symptoms we associate with depression or anxiety. A clinician experienced in assessing children and teenagers can make the appropriate diagnosis.

The World Health Organization has taken an important step in helping us understand and define a problem many parents have been reporting for years. This is not a bad thing. I view it as a positive step. Technology is moving very fast. In fact, it is moving so fast we cannot keep up with all the new issues we need to deal with as a result of new technology. The more we understand technology the more we can avoid potentially serious problems.

Dr. Michael Rubino is a psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience treating and assessing children and teenagers.