WHO Criticized for ‘Moral Panic’ of Adding ‘Gaming Disorder’ to Disease Classification Manual

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been criticized for adding “gaming disorder” to their “disease classification manual.”

WHO described “gaming disorder” as “a pattern of gaming behavior (‘digital-gaming’ or ‘video-gaming’) characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”

Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) also announced they would start treating “gaming disorder.”

The classification, however, has prompted criticism from both gamers and professionals.

“We’re essentially pathologising a hobby, so what’s next? There are studies on tanning addiction, dance addiction, exercise addiction, but nobody is having a conversation about including them in ICD 11,” declared Bath Spa University lecturer Dr. Peter Etchells. “I don’t think policy should be informed by moral panics, which is what it feels like is happening at the moment.”

“What we’re doing then is over-diagnosing, we’re sort of pathologising a behaviour that for many people is not harmful in any way,” he continued, adding, “The best evidence that we currently have really suggests some screen time, some video game playing, is better than none at all, particularly for child wellbeing.”

Others took to Twitter to both criticize and mock WHO’s classification.

I had a gaming disorder in high school and to the horror of everyone around me I ended up with a bunch of cool like minded friends, and a stable career. Scary stuff.

— Jordan Maron (@CaptainSparklez) June 18, 2018

My “gaming disorder” kept me from hanging with the wrong crowd of people, motivated me to study computer science, and gave me a 10 year moderately successful Youtube career. So whatever.

— Steven | ZeRoyalViking (@ZeRoyalViking) June 18, 2018

sorry, tours cancelled… suffering from a severe gaming disorder. thanks WHO.

— Goat lord (@deadmau5) June 18, 2018

oh no. i am suffering from a "gaming disorder" welcome to snowflake city.

— Goat lord (@deadmau5) June 18, 2018

https://twitter.com/FionnOnFire/status/1008813630899417088

RT if you are now designated as having a mental gaming disorder… 🏻‍♂️

— Chaos (@Chaosxsilencer) June 18, 2018

Fortnite's immense popularity amongst young people and the WHO's classification of "gaming disorder" as a diagnosis are creating a perfect storm of panicked, misinformed media stories about the evils of video games. Exhausting to combat this every time a game gets popular

— Keza MacDonald (@kezamacdonald) June 20, 2018

My “gaming disorder” helped me become a man of a good friend and I gotta is a great night for me and I gotta is a time of night for me a night out with a great night out of the stream and then I’ll play with you.

— Sp00n (@Sp00nerism) June 18, 2018

fuck, my excessive gaming disorder has helped me make friends and made my life 10x better. oh no.

— Whos Chaos (@WhosChaos) June 19, 2018

Worker: I've been working 20+ hours.

WHO: seems like you need some rest. You're working really hard

Reader: I've been reading 20+ hours

WHO: seems likes you enjoy reading a lot. Keep it!

Gamer: "I've been gaming for 20+ hours"

WHO: seems like you have a gaming disorder.

…

— La Luna (@TheMoon112) June 20, 2018

“You could easily take out the word ‘gaming’ and put in ‘sex’ or ‘food’ or ‘watching the World Cup,’” criticized Oxford Internet Institute psychologist Andrew Przybylski.