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Video Game Addiction: The Push To Pathologize Video Games

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Dr. Anthony Bean at Framingham State University
Dr. Anthony Bean
Rune K. L. Nielsen
Rune K. L. Nielsen
Rune K. L. Nielsen
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Antonius J. van Rooij at Trimbos Institute
Antonius J. van Rooij
Christopher J. Ferguson
Christopher J. Ferguson
Christopher J. Ferguson
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Abstract

With proposals to include ‘gaming disorder’ in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) and International Compendium of Diseases (ICD), the concept of video game addiction has gained traction. However, many aspects of this concept remain controversial. At present, little clarity has been achieved regarding diagnostic criteria and appropriate symptoms. It is unclear if symptoms that involve problematic video gaming behavior should be reified as a new disorder, or are the expression of underlying mental conditions. Nonetheless, the recent proposals around gaming disorder from respected bodies such as the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association seem to lock much of the applied research into a confirmatory trajectory. Since the DSM-5 proposal, research is increasingly focused on the application of the proposed criteria, as opposed to broadly testing validity and necessity of the overarching construct. This raises multiple concerns. Firstly, the current approaches to understanding ‘gaming addiction’ are rooted in substance abuse research and approaches do not necessarily translate to media consumption. Secondly, some research has indicated that ‘video game addiction’ is not a stable construct and clinical impairment might be low. Thirdly, pathologizing gaming behavior has fallout beyond the therapeutic setting. In light of continuing controversies, it is argued that the currently proposed categories of video game addiction disorders are premature.
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Video Game Addiction: The Push To Pathologize Video Games
Anthony M. Bean
Framingham State University
Rune K. L. Nielsen
IT University Copenhagen
Antonius J. van Rooij
Trimbos Institute
Christopher J. Ferguson
Stetson University
With proposals to include “gaming disorder” in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) and
International Compendium of Diseases (ICD), the concept of video game addiction has gained traction.
However, many aspects of this concept remain controversial. At present, little clarity has been achieved
regarding diagnostic criteria and appropriate symptoms. It is unclear if symptoms that involve problem-
atic video gaming behavior should be reified as a new disorder, or are the expression of underlying
mental conditions. Nonetheless, the recent proposals around gaming disorder from respected bodies such
as the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association seem to lock much of the
applied research into a confirmatory trajectory. Since the DSM–5 proposal, research is increasingly
focused on the application of the proposed criteria, as opposed to broadly testing validity and necessity
of the overarching construct. This raises multiple concerns. First, the current approaches to understanding
“gaming addiction” are rooted in substance abuse research and approaches do not necessarily translate
to media consumption. Second, some research has indicated that “video game addiction” is not a stable
construct and clinical impairment might be low. Third, pathologizing gaming behavior has fallout beyond
the therapeutic setting. In light of continuing controversies, it is argued that the currently proposed
categories of video game addiction disorders are premature.
Public Significance Statement
This article argues the basic question of whether or not “video game addiction” qualifies as a mental
disorder, as many aspects of Internet Gaming Disorder conceptually remain controversial among
researchers and clinicians. The article raises important questions regarding the validity of the
evidence, the stability of the proposed construct, and possible clinical pathologizing of a hobby and
normal routine behaviors of playing video games.
Keywords: video games, Internet Gaming Disorder, addiction, ICD, DSM
It is no secret many diverse people play video games across the
world (Duggan, 2015), sometimes for extended amounts of time.
Therefore, it is of little surprise that concerns about ‘game addiction’
have drawn substantial amounts of attention in the news and academic
literature (Charlton, 2002). The interest in video game addiction has
spurred parent groups and some researchers to link video games to
children’s problematic behaviors, lack of social integration, and aca-
demic dysfunctioning. Many of these concerns also fit with stereo-
types of gamers as physically unfit, socially awkward, and disengaged
from work and school, despite evidence to suggest these stereotypes
This article was published Online First July 6, 2017.
ANTHONY M. BEAN received his PhD in Clinical Psychology with an
emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. An Ad-
junct Professor at Framingham State University, he currently studies and
conducts therapeutic interventions for video gamers using depth psychol-
ogy and social interventions focusing on media, video games, and video
gamers.
RUNE K. L. NIELSEN received his PhD from the IT University of
Copenhagen. He currently is an Assistant Professor at the IT University
of Copenhagen and works in the Center for Computer Games Research.
ANTONIUS J. VAN ROOIJ received his PhD on the subject of video
game “addiction” from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He is
currently the project lead for Gaming, Gambling, & Media Literacy at
Trimbos Institute in the Netherlands, where he focuses on projects and
research that promote the responsible and healthy use of media, video
games, and gambling games.
CHRISTOPHER J. FERGUSON holds a PhD in clinical psychology from
the University of Central Florida. He is currently a professor of psy-
chology at Stetson University. He is a fellow of the APA. He has
coauthored a book on video games, Moral Combat: Why the War on
Video Games Is Wrong, as well as a mystery novel set in Renaissance
Florence, Suicide Kings.
RUNE K. L. NIELSEN has received funding from the European Research
Council (ERC) under the European Union’s H2020 ERC-ADG programme
(grant agreement 695528).
CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS ARTICLE should be addressed to
Anthony M. Bean, Framingham State University, 100 State Street, Fra-
mingham, MA 01701. E-mail: anthonymbeanphd@gmail.com
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice © 2017 American Psychological Association
2017, Vol. 48, No. 5, 378–389 0735-7028/17/$12.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pro0000150
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... In the complex interplay of globalization and localization, countries are undergoing a convergence of cultures, ideologies, and practices (Bean et al, 2017;Sitzmann, 2011). This process, characterized by the fusion of global and local influences, is referred to as a glocalization (Bean et al, 2017). As a well-known developing country, China is one of the biggest beneficiaries of globalization. ...
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Lost in the chaos: Flawed literature should not generate new disorders: Commentary on: Chaos and confusion in DSM-5 diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder: Issues, concerns, and recommendations for clarity in the field (Kuss et al.)
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Understanding Why Scholars Hold Different Views on the Influences of Video Games on Public Health: Opinions on Video Game Influences on Public Health
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  • J COMMUN
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