Unlike substance abuse or gambling addiction, video game addiction is not a formally recognised addiction. We do however see a number of young people play games so frequently that it clearly has a negative impact on their lives. With symptoms and impact comparable to addiction, it is important to be aware of the risk of video gaming.
Several studies have been undertaken to define the percentage of gamers that end up playing excessively. Results range from 5 to 15% of gamers play at a frequency which leads to a negative impact on their life.