By Randell Leak
In January, the World Health Organization (WHO), located in Geneva, Switzerland, classified gaming as a disorder. The organization thinks that people consider gaming more important than other interests and daily activities. The correct term for this disorder is called the ICD (Impulse-Control Disorder.) OK, put your pitchforks down, just like you ,I’m also upset and angry that WHO decided to classify gaming as a disorder. It was not too long ago that gaming was considered weird and nerdy. Calling it a disorder is somewhat disrespectful.
Before I dive in, I want to make sure we all know what an Impulse-Control Disorder is. An article from Psych Central, posted by Daniel Ploskin stated, an ICD is when people can’t resist the urge to do something harmful to themselves or others. Impulse control disorders include addictions to alcohol, drugs, eating , compulsive gambling and behaviors involving non-human. Impulse-control disorders involve problems in one’s ability to control his or her emotions and behaviors. This lack of self-control causes the children and adolescents suffering from these disorders to experience significant distress or most areas of functioning. To summarize, its failure to resist temptation.
ICD is when people can’t resist the urge to do something harmful to themselves or others. Impulse-control disorders include addictions to alcohol, drugs, eating , compulsive gambling and behaviors involving non-human. Impulse-control disorders involve problems in one’s ability to control his or her emotions and behaviors. This lack of self-control causes the children and adolescents suffering from these disorders to experience significant distress or most areas of functioning. To summarize, it’s failure to resist temptation.
Now that we know what an ICD is, I don’t see how gaming is labeled ICD. Of course, there are people that put their gaming first and daily activities second. But, does that mean they all have disorders? I wonder what WHO has to say about Esports players, gaming Youtubers,or even gaming journalists who get paid to play games and write about them. The biggest Youtube star, Pewdiepie, with over 60 million subscribers, is a gaming channel. Instead of just labeling gaming as a disorder, WHO should bring awareness to the subject and try to help, instead, they turned it into a disorder? Don’t get me wrong, playing games all day and night is bad for your health, but should it really be classified as a disorder? While researching the WHO, I was dumbstruck about what WHO sees as dangerous and what WHO sees as a disorder.
Recently, WHO wants to decide whether or not gaming is hazardous? Come on now, when I play Grand Theft Auto I don’t think, “Hmm, that was fun, I wonder if I can do this in real life and get away with it?” this never crosses my mind. When I play Final Fantasy, do I think of becoming an attractive teen with abilities to shoot fire out of my hands while fighting daemons? I mean wish, but you get the point. Games are here for our entertainment just like TV shows but I don’t see anyone talking about TV shows as much as games.
I’m sure we all can agree on one thing, violent games do not make you a killer. If it’s not true, I guess we can have a serial killer play Just Dance and he’ll be the nicest guy in the world with some sick dance moves. At the end of the day, with gaming becoming so popular, there is only a matter of time before WHO starts calling everything that’s mainstream a disorder. “Ohh anime? DISORDER!!!, cryptocurrency? DISORDER!!!, mumble rappers? DISORDER!!!” Actually……..I wouldn’t mind if that last one was a disorder. But I hope you all understand it doesn’t matter what the WHO says. People called gamers nerds and we embrace it so much that other people wanted to be “nerds too.” They call us lazy, told us to get a job,but look at the companies that are actually paying people to play games. WHO said gamers have a disorder? Well, then,I guess we all have one.
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