Since the study focused on children and teenagers, it also noted a very negative effect on homework and overall performance in school among the gamers showing addiction signs. "While the medical community currently does not recognize video game addiction as a mental disorder, hopefully this study will be one of many that allow us to have an educated conversation on the positive and negative effects of video games," Dr Douglas Gentile, an assistant professor of psychology at ISU, said in a statement.
1,178 children and teenagers aged between 8 - 18 years old were included in the study. Six of the eleven symptoms of pathological gambling as defined by the American Psychiatric Association were identified in a portion of the gamers (about ten percent). The technically "addicted" gamers generally spent 24 hours or more per week playing games, twice as much as casual gamers in the study.
"While video games can be fun and entertaining, some kids are getting into trouble. I continue to hear from families who are concerned about their child's gaming habits. Not only do we need to focus on identifying the problem, but we need to find ways to help families prevent and treat it," said Dr David Walsh, the president of the National Institute on Media and the Family.
"This study gives everyone a better idea of the scope of the problem," he continued.
Written by: James Delahunty @ 20 Apr 2009 18:56
