Audio By Carbonatix
Your fortnite addiction might just be an official illness.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday adopted the latest update to its International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which adds "gaming disorder" to its list of modern diseases.
The organisation last June added gaming addiction under its section of potentially harmful technology-related behaviours, including too much use of "the internet, computers, smartphones" and more.
Despite opposition from trade groups, which reportedly pointed to contradictory research on the subject and touted some of the virtues of video games, the latest ICD was officially approved at the 72nd World Health Assembly.
"Gaming disorder" lives under the "disorders due to addictive behaviour" section of the ICD. It's described as "a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior, which may be online or offline, manifested by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences."
The issue of gaming addiction isn't new: The American Psychiatric Association still has it listed as up for discussion in the latest version of its diagnostic bible, the DSM-5.
The American Medical Association backed away from "video game addiction" in 2007.
Latest Stories
-
Nigeria charges man with running fictitious government agency
1 hour -
Putin warns West that Russia is ready to use every weapon to protect Kaliningrad
2 hours -
Fuel sector overcrowded as 245 OMCs compete for market share – COMAC CEO
3 hours -
Mobile Money Fintech LTD, UMB train hairdressers and beauticians
4 hours -
COMAC boss blasts gov’t interference in fuel pricing, demands full deregulation
4 hours -
OpenAI fires workers for mishandling ‘sensitive information’
4 hours -
What’s gone wrong at Nike? How the world’s sportswear giant lost its mojo
4 hours -
Carney pitches oil pipeline as a response to US-Canada trade war
4 hours -
Badenoch welcomes expanded grooming gangs inquiry
4 hours -
GACL MD sues Samuel Buabeng over alleged Facebook defamation
5 hours -
Asylum votes show people want help, says Kemi Badenoch
5 hours -
Christa Pike in critical condition after surviving two lethal injections, lawyer says
5 hours -
Kemi Badenoch backs face covering ban at protest
5 hours -
Man City not ‘above the rules’, says No 10 after backlash to Burnham remarks
5 hours -
Real Madrid submit ‘substantial’ dossier in Barca payments case
5 hours