The World Health Organization has come out with something very controversial. The organization has come out claiming that gaming is now a "disorder”, which puts a negative connotation on the word “gaming”. As someone who has been playing video games for over 15 years, I find this awfully offending. The WHO has defined a gaming disorder as a “significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning and would normally have been evident for at least 12 months”.
So basically, if you occasionally decide to pick up a video game instead of being with your family, or being social, for longer than a year, you have a disorder!
Congrats to 90% of the gaming community! Not only do video games allow you to be social with your friends, but it allows you to be creative, work your brain, and relieve stress.
To begin, I must explain that most people who play video games don’t have a disorder and are not addicted. Many people use gaming to talk with their friends. Take me as an example. I play video games almost every day for a few hours a day. I don’t spend that time cuddled up in a corner, chugging mountain dew, staring at a screen all day. I get on, talk to my friends, play a few games do homework or do something else productive. As I type this paper, I am talking to my friends on Xbox.
In no way shape or form, am I so addicted to my Xbox that I can’t do daily tasks and obligations? I will gladly walk away to do what needs to be done. Being social is probably the biggest perk of gaming. A lot of gamers will get on and talk to their friends about their day and to mess around. In my personal opinion, talking to your friends through gaming is a lot safer than what teenagers/adults usually do when they hang out. Last time I checked, crashing your car into a pole in “GTA V” isn’t as bad as crashing your car in real life.
Another thing that WHO doesn’t understand is that gaming actually helps the brain! How many devices and games have been created for the sole fact to help develop the brain? There are puzzles, investigations, motor skills, trivial skills, and many other brain crunching activities that are put into most games to allow you to use your brain. I don’t usually toot my own horn, but Mario Kart has made me a better driver.
Gaming might seem dumb on the outside, but it really allows people to learn and use their brains. Minecraft is a perfect example of a game that a lot of kids play. It’s an open world concept that allows you to build and create whatever your heart desires. Who knows, maybe that nine-year-old that plays Minecraft every day will become an architect and build the next greatest building or structure. It kind of ruins the vibe by telling this kid that he now has a disorder, don’t you think?
My friend group has played games for as long as me, and we’re all smart, knowledgeable people. We aren’t brain dead adults who have dropped out of school to play games. We like to get on Xbox to talk and play after school, or work. Games are also used as a stress reliever. I can not tell you how many times I have gotten onto games just to get my mind off things. It brings you to a world that you can actually control.Your options are endless and you’re almost guaranteed a good time everytime you boot up your system.
If you aren’t a casual gamer like me, then maybe you’re a streamer or a professional. Technically, every person that plays games for a living has a disorder then! A lot of gamers will stream what they play to make a living. They will play games for eight to ten hours a day just to make money and there is nothing wrong with that. ESports has become a huge thing in this world. Gamers from around the globe will get together and play professionally. Some make millions of dollars doing this. I wouldn’t appreciate being labeled as something negative if I were making millions off playing video games.
Overall, I believe that the WHO has made a huge mistake. I believe that their intentions were good, but the results were horrific. Labeling kids, teen, and adults as having a disorder just because they like to play games is just offending. Maybe stick to ending the opioid crisis that exists worldwide instead of sticking your hands in a community that has no reason to be included.