The average child who plays a lot of games is not addicted. This criteria, when endorsed, aims to identify extreme cases of behaviour as addiction. There has been strong disagreement among experts on the inclusion of video gaming in the ICD-11 list. These worries have been intensified with news that the World Health Organisation (WHO) adding “gaming” under the section that deals with ‘Disorders due to addictive behaviours’ (category 06) which also deals with alcohol, drugs, gambling. This persuasive approach means it’s important for parents to guide children with screen time limits (available on consoles and smartphones) as they develop their own healthy boundaries. Of course, video games are designed to minimise the hurdles to repeat play and maximise enjoyment. This can lead to a desire from children to play for longer and more frequently. As with any hobby - football, chess, reading - those who enjoy playing video games for leisure will do so enthusiastically and deeply. Many parents and carers worry that their children may become addicted to their video game pastime. There has been a lot in the news about online gaming addiction as one of the risk factors associated with video games.
