The WHO has said that too much gaming is a mental health problem. The WHO has put "gaming addiction" on its official list of diseases. The list is called the International Classification of Diseases. Gaming disorder happens when people cannot stop playing and gaming becomes more important than other interests. The WHO says this must happen for at least a year to be a gaming disorder. Someone with gaming disorder will play even if they know they have problems and they have suffered "negative consequences" from too much gaming.
The WHO said doctors should know that gaming addiction is a danger to people's health that has "serious" consequences. A WHO spokesman said most people who play video games don't have a disorder. However, in certain circumstances, too much gaming can lead to problems. Some doctors believe that too much gaming is not a mental illness. Psychiatrist Allen Frances compared a gaming addiction to coffee addiction. He said: "Billions of people around the world are hooked on caffeine for fun or better functioning, but only rarely does this cause more trouble than its worth."