Are video games addictive?
Theoretical considerations and empirical findings

With the recent introduction of Gaming Disorder as a category in the World Health Organizations’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the excessive and uncontrolled use of console and computer games has been officially defined as a form of addictive behavior. However, the normative establishment of such a category in the ICD was not greeted with uniform support by the scientific community. On the contrary: There were numerous critical voices, as there is no consensus in the field about the existence of such condition. Critics noted that a premature definition without a proper scientific basis might both hinder the development of focused therapies for affected patients and stigmatize the majority of normal gamers.
In his presentation, Dr Thorsten Quandt (University of Münster, Germany) will present his latest works on the topic, including several representative studies on problematic gaming, and discuss these in light of the current debate. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

Dr Thorsten Quandt, * 1971, is a Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Münster. He was a professor at the University of Hohenheim/Stuttgart and the Free University Berlin before, and a guest professor at Stanford University and the University of Oxford. His research and teaching fields include online communication, media innovation research, VR/AR and digital games. He is the founding chair of the Digital Games Research section in the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA). He published more than 150 scientific articles and several books, including Multiplayer and The Video Game Debate.