New Study Delivers Old Figure: 8 Percent Are Game-Addicted

Look about six people to your left. Now five down to the right. OK, one of you is addicted to video games, says a study out of Australasia that ratifies a finding in one out of Iowa State University.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Congress says that eight percent of those who play video games – one in 12 – show signs of addiction. However, the study noted that “video game addiction” is not itself a disorder but “an expression of deeper issues” in those involved in the study.

An earlier study, later criticised for how it selected its participants, found about 8.5 percent of players aged 8 to 18 were “pathological gamers.” The study from Down Under covered all ages.

“Their whole lives revolve around this activity and there certainly seems to be a problem there – there is an addiction,” said Vladan Starcevic, an associate producer on the study. “And it seems to us that these people seem to … have other mental health issues, and it seems excessive video game playing is a manifestation of these underlying problems.”

Again, 8 percent doesn’t sound like a bad number, until you consider the whole numbers. If eight percent of U.S. kids were addicted to anything, there would be treatment centres – or someone trying to make money off it.

Analyze That: Only 8% of Gamers Can Be Considered Addicted [Softpedia News]