In a report issued in January 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that gaming addiction will be included in the 11th International Classification of Diseases. Also coined under the name of gaming disorder, it is a mental health condition characterised by a persistent pattern of recurring severe gaming behaviours which override other life interests. According to WHO, individuals addicted to gaming exercise impaired control over their gaming habits, give increased priority to gaming activities and continue to play despite the escalation of negative consequences. By recognising gaming addiction as a standalone disorder, WHO has taken an immense leap forward in adjusting the way that excessive playtime is looked at, at a time when technological advances are so great that we now see gaming everywhere, and it’s moved past the status of pastime and has become a sport and the nucleus of a community.
News around the recognition of gaming disorder made me think that I should dedicate a Mental Health Weekly feature specifically to playing video games. I’ve been passionate about playing games since an early age, but it wasn’t an avenue that my parents were willing to invest much in: I was always gifted books, toys and outdoors play thingies for Christmas, but never computer games. In fact, it wasn’t until I left for university and I started working my first job that I started buying games and finally playing what I wanted. My boyfriend was the one to teach me how to play on a console and bought me my first console game, Fallout 4. Two years later, gaming is a big part of my life, an activity I resort to when I am stressed or tired, a hobby and an industry I always long to find out more about. And yes, video games interact with mental health just like anything else can, and since I have an interest in both, I thought I might as well share my experiences of the two.
Just before I start, I’ve got to add the usual disclaimer: this post is entirely focused on my experiences with video games and mental health, and there is a significant chance you might not relate. Your best bet is cultivating your own educated opinion on the topic, and at the end of the post I will link to some sources and articles that you might find useful in this regard.
The things that I enjoy the most in a game are challenging quests and an immersive atmosphere.
(Screenshot taken by me from the video game Fallout, Interplay Productions, 1997)
The first and foremost reason why I play video games is to have fun. Gaming was just picking up a new hobby and filling up my free time with an activity different from what I usually do. I like to read, write, work out, listen to music and watch YouTube videos and TV shows, but I also like playing games – that is sort of how it worked like for me. I enjoyed the thrill, the immersive stories, the role play factor, having a laugh with my friends if I wasn’t playing alone. The group of friends that I made at uni was all into playing different kinds of games, and I was the only one who wasn’t doing it as much so somehow, it was also about fitting in and doing things together with my friends. It was a common passion for me and my boyfriend, and then for me and some of my closest friends. Gaming became a great starting topic for talking to people that I’ve just met, and my passion for certain games led me to joining different forums where I started talking to people online, too. I was finally trying out new, different things: I’ve never gamed to the extent that I am now, never took it so seriously, and just like with writing poetry or working on this blog, it was exciting and enjoyable.
As more of an indirect result of this, gaming became a form of empowerment for me. Not only have I become more confident about my playing capabilities, but I was also more assertive when it came down to talking to other people, making conversation and sharing my views. Contradicting what would be traditionally thought, playing games helped me open up to people more. But I guess this empowerment covered the genre of games that I like, as well, which is role play, fighting, survival-type games. Fighting and trying to survive in games made me feel braver and stronger, and taking a catalytic role in the world of games made me feel important. Learning how to defend myself from enemies, making the choices that I thought to be right to change the story of the game, all these bits, big or small, gave me a certain sense of ‘I matter’. Taking care of my characters in-game, dressing them up and making sure they do good deeds instead of going on a killing spree or stealing from a pitiful beginner, helped me put into perspectives the values that I hold the highest, the things that I want to do the most for other people and for myself.
I enjoy engaging in a powerful and interesting story, and building up the character that I would like to be in such a world, were it real.
(Screenshot taken by me from the video game Fallout: New Vegas, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks, 2010)
(Including the ANiceOakTree's Hairstyles for New Vegas mod by Hayllee, 2017)
This way, playing games had a positive impact on my self-esteem and self-perception. On the days when I had no motivation to get out of the house and go to the gym, binged on ice cream or wrote crap and fell behind with the blog, I could load a game and be a hero, be someone who mattered and did well. When even games fail to do that for me, I look back to where I started, to how incapable I was of engaging in combat or of using a controller, and to where I am now, to how well I can do these things, and that is physical proof for me that nothing is permanent. You do badly today, but you’ll always do better tomorrow. You don’t feel well today, but you will feel okay again at some point. All you’ve got to do is be patient and keep trying.
With all honesty, gaming also helps me escape. Just like reading a book or watching a movie, playing a game means taking a break from my everyday life and engaging in somebody else’s story. I feel as though with gaming, escapism is much stronger because it gives you the chance to become a character in the story, rather than following it from a third-person perspective. As someone who is passionate about storytelling in all its forms I was, of course, spellbound by this aspect of playing games. The idea of not being me for an hour or two, of being somebody else, making decisions in somebody else’s skin and essentially helping them write their own story – it felt surreal. More often than anything else, it was good not to think about my own life, my own worries and responsibilities for a while. It also happened to me that I turned to playing games in a rather critical situation, after I had a clash with someone or experienced a panic attack, or spent several hours that would otherwise be dedicated to sleeping, gaming when I had night anxiety. In a nutshell, for me, escapism went to the extent where I often succumbed to the flight instinct and decided to play a game rather than confront my problems head-on.
My friends were the ones to get me into playing Civilization V, and therefore slowly discover the world of strategy games.
(Screenshot taken by me from the video game Sid Meier's Civilization V, developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games, 2010)
And this is where I think the limit lies, this is the point where the good in video games becomes the bad. Escapism is good only in certain doses, and if I were to go past them I would be, simply put, running from my own life, my own challenges, my own story. Although explicable, it is not a viable way of dealing with one’s struggles: you step away from them for a little bit, but they are still there to hit you in the face when you come back. The more time you spend in-game, the more difficult this confrontation will be when you exit. I guess just like with anything else, having too much doesn’t do you good.
In my research on the news coverage of gaming addiction, a certain question stuck with me: is gaming disorder a disorder by itself or is it a symptom, or a coping mechanism for a different mental health condition? (Philip DeFranco raised this in his brief coverage of the news, I highly recommend you check out the episode.) It is very likely that individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem or high social anxiety, turn to gaming for comfort – it starts off as an actual hobby, and then playing becomes a daily need, maybe for the reasons I mentioned that make me enjoy playing games so much. If looking at examples such as the South Korean gaming addiction ‘epidemic’, though, it is clear that playing too much is an issue by itself, rather than subscribed to something else. The conclusion can only be built from case to case, as there are so many dimensions that need to be taken into consideration when such a diagnosis is put: the number of hours spent in-game and their distribution, how the passion for gaming started, what kind of games are played, self-report on gaming experience and reports from others, and the list can go on and on. Now, the question that remains is: did the World Health Organisation do well by including gaming addiction in their latest classification of diseases? In my opinion, anything that can help individuals who struggle get the support that they need is good. We’ll have to wait and see what statistics show in this regard, during the next couple of years.
And whenever I'm not in the mood for an exciting RPG adventure, I just resort to messing around on The Sims.
(Screenshot taken by me from the video game The Sims 4, developed by Maxis and The Sims Studio and published by Electronic Arts, 2014)
(Lot model Blue Moon No CC, designed by Cayrees)
Going back to my experience with gaming and mental health, I always keep a few things in mind to make sure that I don’t get too caught up with it. I’m always careful not to take games too seriously – in fact, they’re just games, right? They are nothing more but a pastime, on the very same level as books, movies, TV shows or going to the theatre. That means you get your entertainment and escapism and then carry on, maybe even forget about them after a while. If you feel like you spend a bit too much time playing games, it’s important that you engage in other daily activities, as well. Do whatever else you fancy or find yourself a new hobby or interest. Exercising and spending time with other people count, too. Choosing the right games is another thing to look out for: if you are prone to immerse yourself a bit too much in what’s going on, try playing simple multiplayer games, and if you get too wound up when playing with others, choose a chill adventure all for yourself. Anytime gaming feels like too much, find the self-discipline to disconnect and don’t be afraid to ask for help, which goes for everything else in life, really. No matter what, you are not alone.
What are your views on gaming? Is it something you enjoy, or you don’t care much for it? Where do you stand in regards with the latest news from WHO and what is your opinion on the recognition of gaming addiction as a disorder? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments down below! I also recommend that you check the following list of resources and articles, to find out more.
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Information sources:
BBC coverage on classification of Gaming Disorder (January 2018)
BBC mini-report on gaming addiction (June 2018)
The DeFranco Show coverage of Gaming Disorder classification (00:06; June 2018)
Mental Health in South Korea (last update: June 2018)
Kuo, A., Lutz, R. J. and Hiler, J. L. (2016) 'Brave new World of Warcraft: a conceptual framework for active escapism'. Journal of Consumer Marketing 33 (7), 498-506
Kuss, D. J. and Griffiths, M. D. (2011) 'Internet Gaming Addiction: A Systematic Review of Empirical Research'. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction 10, 278-296
Photo sources:
In-game screenshots taken by me from the following games:
Fallout, Interplay Productions, 1997
Fallout: New Vegas, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks, 2010 (including the ANiceOakTree's Hairstyles for New Vegas mod by Hayllee, 2017)
Sid Meier's Civilization V, developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games, 2010
The Sims 4, developed by Maxis and The Sims Studio and published by Electronic Arts, 2014 (lot model Blue Moon No CC, designed by Cayrees)