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World Health Organization announces that they're going to declare video game addiction a disease:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/who-decides-video-game-addiction-is-a-disease-1.3534502

I wonder if I'll be able to declare my Stardew Valley playing as a medical expense......
Post edited June 18, 2018 by drmike
world health organization can eat a ****
Let them.

I really don't care. :P
It's really not as bad as we might think.
http://www.who.int/features/qa/gaming-disorder/en/
For gaming disorder to be diagnosed, the behaviour pattern must be of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning and would normally have been evident for at least 12 months.
Studies suggest that gaming disorder affects only a small proportion of people who engage in digital- or video-gaming activities. However, people who partake in gaming should be alert to the amount of time they spend on gaming activities, particularly when it is to the exclusion of other daily activities, as well as to any changes in their physical or psychological health and social functioning that could be attributed to their pattern of gaming behaviour.
I mean... there ARE people who binge MMORPGs to literal death, and there really should be an awareness of that. :|

I was in 12th grade back when Final Fantasy VII came out and... well, I pride myself with not having totally killed my grades, but... it wasn't easy. No sireee. ;) But even that serious binging wouldn't have been evident for 12 months straight.
Post edited June 18, 2018 by Vainamoinen
The guy who played for, what was it a week strait, and died.
I think that counts as a disease.
Alcoholism is a disease, why not this?

Though I seriously doubt any of us could be diagnosed with it. Shit, none of us ever game, we just hang out in here.
Post edited June 18, 2018 by tinyE
Seems a bit pointless. I mean, you can get addicted to everything. I'm not sure why video games need some special mention more than binge watching tv shows or collecting stamps, but whatever.
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fortune_p_dawg: world health organization can eat a ****
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Fairfox: ...cake?

four uuuh asterisks
FITS
whatever four letter foodstuff your imagination can conjure. your only limit is the vast universal expanse that exists within your mind. when one sheds this mortal coil all four letter foodstuffs will be within your reach... from all points of the man-made anachronism that is what we perceive as space-time.

woosh
Post edited June 18, 2018 by fortune_p_dawg
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Breja: Seems a bit pointless. I mean, you can get addicted to everything. I'm not sure why video games need some special mention more than binge watching tv shows or collecting stamps, but whatever.
My uncle once volunteered for a medical study and got addicted to placebos. The doctors tried to ween him off by giving him substitute pills, but that only make the problem worse.
Post edited June 18, 2018 by Stevedog13
...And?
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KiNgBrAdLeY7: ...And?
more money for so called research.. Will WHO find a vaccine before disease will spread? ; )
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mike_cesara: more money for so called research.. Will WHO find a vaccine before disease will spread? ; )
Vaccines kill! Never take any, especially new and experimental ones, that haven't been finalized and research behind them is lacking, at best!
Post edited June 18, 2018 by KiNgBrAdLeY7
The concern with this is that the Gaming Industry will change in response to this WHO statement.
No concern there. The tobacco industry didnt change until the money was impacted. Everyone knew it caused cancer. Hell, it claimed The Duke! Nobody cared until they were hit with a multi billion dollar punitive.

Personally, i think its to restrictive of a definition. Its not gaming really, its tech in general. How many people do you know who cant go 10 minutes without checking their social media accounts?
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Breja: Seems a bit pointless. I mean, you can get addicted to everything. I'm not sure why video games need some special mention more than binge watching tv shows or collecting stamps, but whatever.
Because TV shows and stamps don't have things like these deliberately baked in. Yes, it's a comedy site, but the points are still valid. That's why certain games are closer on the spectrum to nicotine or gambling than stamp collection and that's why they probably deserve the unique recognition that philately doesn't get.
Post edited June 18, 2018 by Erpy