The Truth About Video Game Addiction
Is Fortnite as "addictive as cocaine?" For this psychologist, the answer isn't as straightforward as it seems.
They allow people to escape momentarily
The World Health Organization added “gaming disorder” to its International Classification of Diseases in 2018. Families are suing Fortnite creators Epic Games for allegedly "knowingly" making their game as "addictive as cocaine." A psychologist broke down why “video game addiction” is not as straightforward as it seems. The World Health Organization added “gaming disorder” to its International Classification of Diseases in 2018. Gaming disorder is classified as irrepressible and excessive preoccupation with video games, resulting in social academic personal occupational impairment.
Everybody needs to be able to look in the mirror and ask themselves whether it's alcohol, whether it's drugs or whether it's video games. Do I have control over this? Or is this controlling me? I even worked with families where this has happened in two occasions where a grandmother unplugged the video game console and the child threw the grandmother to the floor. That's obviously an extreme case. But the common denominators here are parents and caretakers trying to turn off the game and unplug the game. I've never seen anybody that's just had a video game addiction or a gaming disorder that doesn't also come along with depression, anxiety or attention deficit disorder or a learning disability or sometimes developmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder. Isolation, uncomfortable feelings, whether they have to do with school or whether they have to do with friendships and peer groups these games, just like other addictive substances like alcohol and drugs serve a very important purpose,” psychologist Dr. Michael Fraser tells Brut.
Fraser says he doesn’t believe video games are inherently addictive — but some games lend themselves to the problem more than others. More than 2 billion people play video games globally, and up to 10% of all gamers struggle with compulsive addiction issues according to The Recovery Village. But Fraser says addressing this problem will require deeper conversations about child-access to technology.
Brut.
302 comments
Theresa C.
11/29/2019 19:55We do limit Jason that’s prbly the difference between Jason and bubba lol
Nancy S.
11/29/2019 14:01Video games are destroying childhood!
Nilanjan B.
11/28/2019 13:38Bruh. Don't compare FartWife with LoL
Zully B.
11/27/2019 21:52Los adictos nunca reconocen cuando son adictos 🤷♀️
Angelo M.
11/27/2019 07:39Explain for pubg?
Winn J.
11/26/2019 16:00So how do they know that is addictive as a cocaine did they try cocaine?
San Z.
11/26/2019 15:37so basically he's saying that today's videogames are too easy 🤷🏼♂️
Manuel A.
11/26/2019 15:24Ok brutmer!
Abdullah N.
11/26/2019 15:10Ive seen homeless people at gaming zones playing fortnite. It really is alarmingly addictive
Huma R.
11/26/2019 15:09Abdul Ahad Jawad
Alvaro P.
11/26/2019 13:40🤭🤭
Jomel M.
11/26/2019 13:28"Gaming is not addiction, it's our way to escape reality"
Anulack K.
11/26/2019 12:22camping boring
XJammes D.
11/26/2019 11:24its not the games fault beacause its the persons of the person will react to a good game pls dont blame it on the game its just a creative fun strategized happy game so gett of
Khabbab N.
11/26/2019 10:34Fortnite is a pc app . Not a video game .
Angelo M.
11/26/2019 10:07Explain for pubg?
Gian P.
11/26/2019 09:50My grades got lower when my mom confiscated my PS4
Fernando Z.
11/26/2019 06:36Olv Vita
Usama W.
11/26/2019 05:49Gaming (competitively) is a sport. Telling a kid that he can no longer play video games is like telling a kid to not play baseball or football because it's an addiction like cocaine. Yes I agree there needs to be balance but don't take it away from them completely. Take for example the Fortnite world champion that won 6 million dollars. His mum had thrown away his console but he still found a way to continue training.
Muhammad H.
11/26/2019 05:21, WTF