According to research conducted by Oxford University, in partnership with Cardiff University, there’s nothing clinically ‘wrong’ with obsessive gamers. Rather than being negatively impacted by gaming itself, it’s suggested that young people who engage in dysfunctional gaming may be doing so in a bid to escape “underlying frustrations and wider psychosocial functioning issues”. It involved collecting and analysing data from 1,000 adolescents and an equal number of caregivers in England, Scotland and Wales.
My opinion is many seem quick to blame gaming for school shootings or addictive gaming behaviour but it makes sense that gaming could be an escape from some other issue (maybe not the healthiest way to deal with issues) but it can also be a healthier outlet for feelings of aggression rather than taking those out on other human beings. Maybe addictive gaming could be an indicator to look for another cause of a problem. But then a line should also be drawn between it being a passionate sport/hobby vs actual addictive behaviour.
#gaming #addiction
#^Study finds insufficient evidence of gaming as a clinical disorder | VGC
Research suggests obsessive gamers likely to be suffering from wider issues…