Is Video Game Addiction a Real Illness?
The founder of a treatment clinic says ‘yes,’ but she is also perplexed by the lack of adult patients.
Game on.
Source: Bloomberg
Computer gaming was one of the lucky industries to grow during the pandemic. Global revenues are expected to pass $200 billion in the next two years.
But the industry’s financial success is drawing some concern. Last month, the World Health Organization formally recognized video game addiction as an illness, but questions remain about how prevalent the issue is, particular among adults. Parmy Olson hosted a Twitter Spaces on March 16 with Henrietta Bowden-Jones, a medical doctor and founder of the U.K.’s National Center for Gaming Disorders. They were joined by Lisa Jarvis, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry. Below is an edited transcript of their conversation.