It has been over half a year since the World Health Organization (WHO) listed gaming disorder as a behavioral addiction in its latest edition of International Classification of Diseases. The Beijing Anding Hospital of Capital Medical University, a leading hospital for mental illness, has set up an outpatient department for people with video and online gaming addiction. To the surprise of doctors, teenagers are not the majority of game addicts. Adults account for half of the patients.

The doctors have been finding that gaming disorder is far more complicated than imagined. It can be caused by setbacks in real life and may be related to other illnesses.

According to the WHO definition, people suffering a gaming disorder are so addicted to video and online games that they lose interest in other hobbies or daily activities. As a matter of fact, people who spend a lot of time watching short videos or other forms of entertainment also have a disorder in a certain sense.

Adolescents' gaming addiction has received widespread attention. Many schools have prohibited students from taking mobile phones to school, while parents try to keep their children away from phones. However, adults' addiction to games and other kinds of online entertainment has not been paid enough attention.

If people indulge in video games and other means of entertainment, they are bound to spend less time on their work or social life. Also, if adults themselves become addicted, minors are bound to be affected.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published in Beijing Youth Daily on December 13)