KEY POINTS:
When authorities run out of things to blame for the state of the nation they turn to video games.
For people over a certain 'gaming' age, many just don't get it.
You'd think American doctors would have enough problems to solve in an age when increasing numbers of people are dying of unresolved illnesses and addictions.
The high-powered council of the American Medical Association called at the weekend for compulsive video game playing to be officially declared a 'psychiatric disorder' and treated as such.
In other words, they don't get it either, and think if you spend too long in your room playing World of Warcraft or trying to get through levels of Lara Croft Tombraider, you must be loony and branded mentally ill with all the social consequences of a drug addict.
Classified as a mental illness, video game compulsive disorder would then qualify for some government assistance or at least health insurance companies could be squeezed like lemons for treatment.
The medical 'geniuses' say in their report that up to 90 percent of American youngsters play video games and by their estimates they class 15 percent as addicted. That means five million people in the US alone are mentally ill thanks to video games.
How did they make up such dramatic figures? Who knows, but it makes it sound impressive and like a serious epidemic! I hope the same doctors don't examine me and come up with such math about my chances of living beyond 30 being the avid gamer I am.
Games consoles have long moved on from the stereotype of some sad lonely kid locked up in a darkened room shunning the rest of their household and playing some violent anti-social game.
PS2 has the successful Buzz and Singstar games that involved people in groups having fun and Nintendo's successful console encourages everyone from the youngest member of the household to grandma to play a virtual sports game and all the online content from the likes of Xbox Live and such services encourage online communities and group gaming.
If the doctors are concerned by the symptoms of addiction like loneliness, sadness and a lack of social responsibility, there is surely a more complex underlying cause (e.g. day job).
Perhaps the 'blame' for those symptoms should lie on the gamer merely wanting to relieve the underlying causes and to chill with some gaming fantasy like WoW.
I don't see the medical dependency but I do see the danger as about as hazardous as coffee beans!The doctors' report immediately set off a shock-horror-probe reaction among those American media that are tiring of the Paris Hilton saga and need some new sensationalist nonsense to feed on.
My favourite report was one in a Los Angeles paper that reported a man who was so addicted to a computer game his wife would find him "draped over her keyboard, and fast asleep in the middle of a game. Lacking sleep, she sometimes turned up late for her appointments or missed them altogether."
Honestly, that's a dedicated partner! He was so into his game he collapsed asleep on his keyboard, maybe they misdiagnosed him when he's really an narcoleptic? Yeah, she was really concerned about his welfare.
The man - a professor now deceased - was not addicted to Grand Theft Auto but to something more sinister - solitaire!
So let's start by banning solitaire from being placed on all computers sold!
Sure, people can get addicted to anything - and games can so involve you, you do get lost playing them for hours and nights on end, hmm, Never Winter Nights 2.
And it is just as well, since they cost several times more than your average CD or DVD.
And to pay for that continuous supply of games, you have to take on really anti-social responsibilities - like a job.
But to finger five million Americans as mentally ill? Add to those sick on drugs and you have a very sick nation.
I'm glad I'm not hooked, after all, I have every reason to be! Yes, I can spend 48 hours without being engrossed in a game, but only to watch the America's cup and feeds from the footy all weekend!
The claims of games addiction will certainly help the US economy.
A Netherlands clinic has just opened, offering help to those in the world addicted to gaming. The clinic, called Smith and Jones offers an explanation on its website.
"The symptoms of gaming addiction are very much like gambling. These people think, 'Next time, I'm going to win'. This mentality is part of what hooks people into the compulsive cycle.
"In addition to obsessive thoughts and neglect of important life matters, gamers are often addicted to stimulants such Red Bull, coffee, cigarettes, soft drugs, speed, and eventually even cocaine. The counselors also see something we call Time Warps.
"In the many hours that gamers spend on line or in front of the television, the other activities that non gamers may enjoy simply disappear. Life becomes focused solely on the game.
"A common deception can come from the fact that addicted gamers are often able to stop for days or even weeks at a time. This can lead to dangerous denial. If you are a gamer that may have a problem, try to stop and stay stopped.
"Or... try to play only one game a few times and see if you sense the frustration of wanting or needing to play again. We don't believe that a true compulsive gamer will ever regain control of his behavior. This means that the gamer must stop gaming entirely."
China also opened such a clinic to deal with naughty kids found playing games at internet cafes (and doing a few other Google searches I'm sure).
If you're addicted or your loved one is a victim check out Online Gamers Anonymous or Gamer Widow. Or just take a break from the game.
I know it's winter but go for a walk or run, ring up a real person on your mobile or just turn the console off for a while. Better yet, invite a mate over to join you in your console battles!
Single console multiplayer games could end up being the best medicine yet!
What do you think of the claim that 5 million Americans are mentally ill from game playing?
