As reported by GamePolitics.com, the American Medical Assosication has backed away from a previous initiative to classify video game addiction as a medical condition similar to sustance abuse, citing:
There is nothing here to suggest that this is a complex physiological disease state akin to alcoholism or other substance abuse disorders, and it doesn’t get to have the word addiction attached to it.
I am no expert myself, and I don’t know if it should be classified as a medical disorder. Pathological Gambling is currently classified as a mental illness. Is video gaming different? I certainly believe that some people need help, when their video gaming habbits turn their lives upside down. Though interestingly, Pathological Gambling actually has biological bases (lack of norepinephrine). Is it the same with playing too much video games? Only time can tell, and AMA is doing the right thing by saying they need more time to investigate the matter before it gets blown out of proportion.
