Video game addiction spreads during lockdown
PORTLAND: With much of the US and Europe in lockdown, video-game use has exploded. It’s become a way for millions of quarantined people to pass the time and stay connected to others without spreading coronavirus — and health officials have applauded the idea. But for some percentage of users, the binge comes with a dark side: internet and gaming addiction.
Like problem gamblers, video-game addicts are under a number of pressures, including stress, isolation and unemployment. And they’re being encouraged to engage in the very behaviour they struggle with. “Every risk factor for gambling addition is spiking right now, and the same is true for internet and gaming addiction,” said
Keith Whyte, executive director at the National Council on Problem Gambling. “There could be a wave of addiction, quite a big wave.”
Already, hotline calls to some of the council’s 27 centers have increased, Whyte said. Psychiatrists are seeing a spike in video-game-addicted patients, and support groups are seeing members relapsing globally. Between 0.8% and 25% of all gamers — depending on how you count them — may have issues with addiction, according to Daria Kuss, associate professor of psychology at Nottingham Trent University.
It’s created a conundrum for health officials, but tackling covid-19 is the priority. And that means getting people to stay home. That’s why the WHO and tech companies are promoting gaming as a health measure.