When Playing Video Games is Obsession: Players Call It Passion; AMA May Label It Addictive Disorder

Jun 22, 05:43 AM

Current Headlines: By Dorsey Griffith, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

Jun. 22--Everyone knows someone like this: The guy who sits for hours, playing video games, his heart racing as he pummels animated bad guys with controller-driven automatic weapons. He plays and plays, into the night and again when he awakens, neglecting homework and chores and snapping at anyone who interrupts.

Excessive video game playing sure can be a problem. But is it an addiction like any other?

The distinction is a matter of fierce debate, which is about to intensify as the American Medical Association prepares to push for a formal designation of Internet/video game addiction as a diagnosable psychiatric disorder, much like pathological gambling is now.

"The problem is that some of these games are so amazing, people get addicted," said 29-year-old Severo Rodriguez of Sacramento, who described a former roommate in just those terms. "Video gaming is the ultimate alternative fantasy world."

The proposed addiction diagnosis is one of six recommendations related to video gaming under consideration by the AMA's House of Delegates this weekend at its annual meeting in Chicago. The recommendations are part of a research report developed by the organization's Council on Science and Public Health.

Although adoption of the recommendations as AMA policy would not immediately change existing laws or the official listing of psychiatric diagnoses, a tough stand from the nation's largest doctor group eventually could have a big impact on everything from how games are rated to how doctors respond when patients or their parents complain about the effects of video game overuse.

At the very least, said Dr. Martin Wasserman, the Maryland medical society director who first proposed the resolution, "maybe we can get parents to take a greater interest in what their kids are doing for several hours, not only to prevent addiction, but to have better oversight over what they are watching on TV, what video games they are playing or what they are doing on the Internet."

Noting that most research on media violence and children has focused on television, music and movies, the AMA report explores a growing body of evidence about the physical, behavioral and psychological and social effects of excessive video game playing.

Epileptic seizures, for example, have been associated with certain video games including Nintendo's Pokemon and Super Mario. Some studies also have linked violent video games with aggressive behavior -- studies rebutted by the video game industry.

Research on video game addiction is certain to provoke intense debate among experts convening on the topic in Chicago.

"The American Medical Association is making premature conclusions without the benefit of complete and thorough data," proclaimed Michael Gallagher, president of the Entertainment Software Association, which represents the $7.4 billion video game industry.

Of particular concern among some experts are computer video games such as World of Warcraft, in which players in virtual societies can play thousands of people at the same time.

"Current data suggest these individuals are somewhat marginalized socially, perhaps experiencing high levels of emotional loneliness and/or difficulty with real life social interactions," the AMA proposal states.

Jason Della Rocca is the executive director of the International Game Developers Association, which represents video game creators, programmers, artists and designers. Della Rocca cautions against confusing passion, or even obsession, with addiction.

"If someone sits around and reads Harry Potter every day, do we say they are addicted to the books?" Della Rocca asked. "We don't."

And while Della Rocca acknowledges that aficionados of online multiplayer games can "become obsessed," he argues that the games are communication tools for social interaction, like any other.

"If I sat around all day on the telephone, calling friends and family, would anyone say I am addicted to the telephone?" he asked. "The answer is no."

Twelve-year-old Dominic Jones of Sacramento tends to agree. Dominic makes no secret of his passion for video games; he owns about 30 of them and plays about three hours a day.

This week, he's been shopping for a new one and spent much of one afternoon excitedly trying out Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 at the Game Crazy store on Freeport Boulevard.

But the aspiring computer programmer sees no need to label gaming an addiction. "It's a choice," he said. "You can either just play video games or just play video games some of the time."

When Dominic isn't playing games, he said, "I am always bike-riding. I ride around to get fresh air."

And that's a whole lot better than a classmate of his who Dominic said will repeat sixth grade in the fall because "all he ever does is play video games."

Dr. James Scully, a psychiatrist and medical director for the American Psychiatric Association, said that while his professional organization agrees with the AMA's concerns, a new psychiatric diagnosis requires years of research and debate; the next Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders isn't due out until 2012.

Any newly listed addiction will take into consideration research developments in brain biology and genetics. "A lot has been discovered in the last decade, and that will have a major influence on how we think in terms of these diagnoses," Scully said. "But I don't know what will happen with video games."

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