WHO gaming disorder listing a ‘moral panic’, say experts - World News Update

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Monday, June 25, 2018

WHO gaming disorder listing a ‘moral panic’, say experts


The choice to class gaming addiction like a social anxiety disorder was premature and with different moral panic, experts have said.

The World Health Organization included gaming disorder inside the latest version of their disease classification manual.

But biological psychology lecturer Dr Peter Etchells said the move risked pathologising a behaviour which was a harmless for many people.

The WHO said it had reviewed available evidence before including it.

It added the views reflected a consensus of experts from different disciplines and geographical regions and defined addiction like a pattern of persistent gaming behaviour so severe it takes precedence over other life interests.

'Slippery slope'


Speaking in the Science Media Centre in London, experts said that while the choice was well intentioned, there would be a insufficient quality scientific evidence about how you can properly diagnose video game addiction.

Dr Etchells, who lectures at Bath Spa University, said :  It sets us on the potentially slippery slope.

We're essentially pathologising a hobby, so what is next? There will be studies on tanning addiction, dance addiction, exercise addiction, but nobody has a conversation about including them in ICD 11...

I do not think policy ought to be informed by moral panics, and that is actually feels like is occurring at this time.

Dr Etchells said estimates of those people who are addicted vary from fewer than 0. 5% to nearly 50% of players, which meant there would be a danger of failing to recognize who actually had an issue and who just enjoyed playing games.

What we're doing then is over-diagnosing, we're kind of pathologising a behaviour that for several people Isn‘t harmful in in whatever way.

The experts were also sceptical that screen time overall - which also includes the usage of stuff like smartphones and tablets - was harmful for children and adolescents, as some studies have suggested.

Such concerns have prompted the Commons Science and Technology Committee to carry an inquiry into the difficulty.

Dr Etchells and Andy Przybylski, associate professor and director of research in the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, said such papers usually only showed weak associations between screen use and health.

Prof Przybylski said in such studies usually about 99% of the child's wellbeing could possibly be attributed to factors unrelated to screen time.

He said additionally could be the case that many screen time was linked with other problems happening in your own home.

New, good studies that increase what it is that we understand in regards to the associated with screen time as time passes on young people, they are really few and far between, Prof Przybylski added.

Dr Max Davie, officer for health promotion to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said there was evidence of the link between excess screen some serious amounts of reduced sleep and obesity.

But he said the RCPH was unlikely to aid the concept of restricting screen use in its upcoming guidance on the difficulty.

The American Academy of Paediatrics proposes a limit of somethat you two hours daily for young children.

Dr Davie said : We do not think that approach is evidence-based. What we're curious about really is that the content and context of screen time.

Dr Davie added that in the meantime his advice was for individuals to stay smartphones along with other screens from theirs and the children's bedrooms through the night.

Dr Etchells added : The very best evidence that many of us currently have really suggests some screen time, some video game playing, is preferable to none in the least, particularly for child wellbeing.

The WHO said classing gaming addiction like a social anxiety disorder will lead to the increased attention of health professionals towards the risks of development of the disorder and, accordingly, to relevant prevention and treatment measures.

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