Are video games addicting? A UNAM scientist has strong opinions
In Mexico, according to a survey by the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) in 2017, approximately 23.5 million people over the age of 7 play video games. Of this figure, 11.7 million people do so through a cell phone and the rest through consoles. Nevertheless, these data do not confirm that all players are addicted.
In the framework of the annual Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO), which began on Monday, May 20, experts discuss the possible incorporation of video game addiction and compulsive sexual behavior to the catalog of 55 thousand diseases, symptoms and causes of injury. This situation is not without controversy; however the diagnosis is complex.
Hugo Sánchez Castillo, a specialist in behavioral neuroscience, commented that the global health sector must define the lines between what is classified as addiction and what is not, since in the case of video games more than 90% of Mexicans they have access to them through smartphones or consoles.
At present, the researcher assures, any substance, situation or behavior that interrupts the daily and social life of a subject, that does not know when to stop and that remains engaged in the activity for a long time without wanting to do something else, is defined as addiction.
For a video game to be successful, it needs emotional components that arouse the interest of the person and that lead them to a feeling that links them in a continuity; so in this way they could have addictive potential.
The consideration of the WHO is valid, but it would be necessary to clearly discuss where we are going, we must remember that the video game as such has potentials, such as those that help maintain concentration and mental health. If the patient revolves his life around the video game, then there is a problem to address, said the academic.
The specialist warns that in the case of adolescents and children who play with these programs, adults must be aware of their academic performance, their social life and their daily activities; If you isolate yourself and focus solely on gambling, there could be a first sign of a possible addiction.
No Comment