Video game addiction
addiction to computer and video games
Video game addiction (VGA), also known as gaming disorder or internet gaming disorder, is generally defined as a behavioural addiction involving problematic, compulsive use of video games that results in significant impairment to an individual's ability to function in various life domains over a prolonged period of time. This and associated concepts have been the subject of considerable research, debate, and discussion among experts in several disciplines and has generated controversy within the medical, scientific, and gaming communities. Such disorders can be diagnosed when an individual engages in gaming activities at the cost of fulfilling daily responsibilities or pursuing other interests without regard for the negative consequences. As defined by the ICD-11, the main criterion for this disorder is a lack of self-control over gaming.
The World Health Organization (WHO) included gaming disorder in the 11th revision of its International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The American Psychiatric Association, while stating that there is insufficient evidence for the inclusion of internet gaming disorder as an officially recognized disorder in the fifth edition (DSM-5) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published in 2013, considered it worthy of further study, thus including it in its chapter on Conditions for Further Study.
Controversy around the diagnosis includes whether the disorder is a separate clinical entity or a manifestation of underlying psychiatric disorders. Research has approached the question from a variety of viewpoints, with no universally standardized or agreed definitions, leading to difficulties in developing evidence-based recommendations.
Definition and diagnosis
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) has included "gaming disorder" in the 11th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11), released in June 2018, which was approved by the World Health Assembly in May 2019. The use and enforcement of the ICD-11 officially began on 1 January 2022.
The public source identifies “Video game addiction” as addiction to computer and video games. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Video, game and addiction.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q16058933. The first chronological checks are 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2022.
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This entry incorporates text from “Video game addiction” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.