American Medical Association to Vote on Online Gaming Addiction

CHICAGO — At next week’s meeting of the American Medical Association in Chicago, delegates will vote on a recommendation that “Internet/video-gaming addiction” be categorized as a formal diagnosis. This is a step toward legitimizing the behavior as a mental disorder with its own criteria for diagnosis and treatment.

And while laymen may argue that there are many Internet-related behaviors that could be classified as an “addiction,” including viewing Internet pornography, clinical psychologists like Internet addiction specialist Dr. Kenneth Woog, see a specific distinction for online video gaming.

“Some people believe that my kid is addicted to chat on the Internet, or addicted to porn on the Internet. Those are really a means to an end. Chat is just communication – people wanting to talk, so people do that excessively or really enjoy that, but I wouldn’t call that an addiction, per se,” Woog explained to XBIZ. “There are individuals who use the Internet to access pornography. But again, it could be any medium – TV, video, printed material. That’s a separate and distinct use. It’s just using the computer as a medium.

“Now when it comes to gaming, the actual design of the game, the structure of the game and the play of the game, I believe, in of itself, with the characteristics of an individual, can cause an addiction. So I see that as very distinct,” Woog said.

The recommendation is in response to an AMA report that says online gamers, especially players who participate in MMORPGs, massive multi-player online role-playing games like World of Warcraft or Everquest (sometimes referred to as “Evercrack”), are often socially isolated and likely to be addicted to online video gaming.

In an article posted on the South Florida Sun-Sentinel website, Orlando pediatrician Joseph Keeley said, “There are some kids who clearly act like they're addicted and, when you take them off, they'll go through withdrawal. They'll get irritable and hard to live with.”

Keeley, whose daughter attends Northwestern University, said a dean at the university told him that 3 to 4 percent of male freshmen students stop attending class once they get high-speed Internet hooked up in their dorm rooms.

Based on clinical needs, Woog cites the importance of categorizing Internet/video gaming addiction as a separate disorder. Because, while gaming addiction has similarities with other compulsive behaviors, specifically defining it as a disorder will lead to a specific methodology for treatment.

“Based on my research and clinical work with this population, I’m convinced that some computer gaming players do become addicted with symptoms mirroring those of substance addictions,” Woog said. “To clarify, there is no health condition called ‘addiction.’ Instead, the condition is specifically based on two levels of impairment; abuse and dependency, with dependency causing the greatest impairment. I estimate that between 6 and 10 percent of MMORPG computer gaming players would meet the criteria for dependency if diagnostic criteria from the substance addictions were applied.”

If the AMA accepts the recommendation, the next step would be for the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, to categorize “Internet/video gaming addiction” as a clinical disorder.

A formal statement from the APA said, “Psychiatrists are concerned about the wellbeing of children who spend so much time with video games that they fail to develop friendships, get appropriate outdoor exercise or suffer in their schoolwork. Certainly a child who spends an excessive amount of time playing video games may be exposed to violence and may be at higher risks for behavioral and other health problems. We look forward to further exploring this issue with our colleagues at the AMA House of Delegates meeting.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

NATS Launches Integrated Content Management System

Too Much Media (TMM) has rolled out an integrated, no-charge Content Management System (CMS) to its NATS platform.

AEBN Reveals Avery Lust as Top Trans Star for Q3 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the third quarter of 2025, with Avery Lust landing atop the leaderboard.

FSC: California's Device-Based AV Law Does Not Apply to Adult

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) put out an advisory today explaining that California's new device-based age verification law does not apply to adult websites.

Reena Sky Launches New Paysite

Reena Sky has launched her new official paysite, ILoveReenaSky.com.

NextGen Payment Joins ASACP as Corporate Sponsor

NextGen Payment has signed on as the latest corporate sponsor for the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP).

Lauren Phillips, Derek Kage Cap AEBN's Top Stars for 3rd Quarter of 2025

AEBN has revealed its most popular performers in straight and gay theaters for the third quarter of 2025.

XBIZ 2026 Conference to Debut All-New Company Lounges, Community Track

The event website for XBIZ 2026 is now live, unveiling details for North America’s largest adult industry conference, including two all-new show features: Company Lounges and a Community Track.

Mymember.site Integrates VR Functionality

Mymember.site has added virtual reality playback capability to its website management platform.

Texas Patti to Launch Fetish Platform 'EmpireDom'

Performer and content creator Texas Patti is launching a new platform for doms and fetish creators, EmpireDom.com.

Ohio AG Threatens Action Against 'Major' Adult Sites Over AV Law

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today that his office is sending "notice of violation" letters to 19 adult websites for failure to comply with the state's recently enacted age verification law.

Show More