Video gaming addiction is now officially a disease: World Health Organisation

or many years, parents have raised concerns that their children might be addicted to video games.

The emergence of Fortnite and other online games has since seen gaming addiction in young children and teens spiral.

Now, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially added video game addiction — characterised by "a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour" that "takes precedence over other life interests" — to their International Classification of Diseases (ICD) database.

Read the full article on NZHerald.

Treating internet use disorders via the internet? Results of a two-armed randomized controlled trial

Internet Use Disorders (IUDs) are emerging as a societal challenge. Evidence-based treatment options are scarce. Digital health interventions may be promising to deliver psychological treatment to individuals with IUDs directly in their online setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a digital health intervention for IUDs compared to a waitlist control group (WCG).

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YouTube to be included in Australia's teen social media ban

YouTube will be included in Australia's world-first social media ban for children under 16, after the government ditched a previous exemption for the platform.

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Australian clinic tackles screen addiction as social media ban looms

The suffering of people who are addicted to gaming and social media, the struggle of their families, and the need for screening, prevention, early intervention and treatment are highlighted in this interview with Dr Daniela Vecchio on Reuters.

Screen Sense