

aming addiction plays havoc with the lives of millions of gamers around the world – we need to expand treatment options in New Zealand, says Jennifer Jiyun Park.
Video gaming occupies two contrasting public perceptions. It is widely embraced as a beloved hobby, yet also seen as a source of harm. As games become more sophisticated, encouraging longer and more frequent play, a growing number of individuals are swept up to the point of losing control.
Jennifer Jiyun Park is a doctoral candidate, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland
Read the full article on the Auckland University website.
Also published on Newsroom.

As the world digitises, children and adolescents are increasingly using digital technologies. These devices offer benefits such as exposure to social contacts and support, potential learning opportunities and access to health promotion material. However, along with these benefits, emerging evidence is indicating that frequent, extended use of digital devices is associated with negative impacts on the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents.
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In the past few years internet addiction (IA) and internet gaming disorder (IGD) have become very frequent, leading to many personality and psychiatric disorders including low self-esteem, impulsivity, poor sleep quality, mood disorder, and suicide. IA has been included in Appendix III of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as IGD. In addition, IA leads to many neuroanatomical and neurochemical alterations including cortical thinning of various components of the brain and altered dopaminergic reward circuitry.
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