EDITORIAL

published: 15 March 2022

doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.870177

Editorial: Internet Addiction &

Gaming Disorders in Children and
Adolescents
Kirthana Vasudevan* and Daniel Shuen Sheng Fung
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore

Keywords: internet, addiction, social media, child, adolescent, child psychiatry

Editorial on the Research Topic

Internet Addiction & Gaming Disorders in Children and Adolescents

INTRODUCTION
Communications has always been the main driver of the globalized world. The Internet is
a means which allows global sharing of knowledge, news, and entertainment. It has enabled
intersectoral exchange in education, healthcare, and business. The recent COVID-19 pandemic
has also emphasized the importance of the virtual world in telemedicine, home based learning, and
telecommuting (1, 2). The digital generation has raised concerns about screen times (3), Internet
addiction [Yu and Shek; Siste et al.; Fung et al.; Nik Jaafar et al.; (4)] as well as potential risks in
social media [Yu and Shek; (5)]. Computer addiction was a concern as early as the 1980s (6).

EVALUATION OF INTERNET ADDICTION/GAMING DISORDERS

The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) has recognized gaming disorder to be one
that is characterized by (a) impaired control over gaming, (b) increasing priority given to gaming
Edited and reviewed by:
Jeffrey I. Hunt,
over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and activities,
Warren Alpert Medical School of and (c) continuation of gaming despite experiencing negative consequences. It is also defined to
Brown University, United States be severe enough to cause significant functional impairment in various aspects of one’s life (7).
*Correspondence: However, The American Psychiatric Association has placed “Internet Gaming Disorder” under
Kirthana Vasudevan Section III of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), as a condition that
kirthana.vasudevan@mohh.com.sg warrants more clinical research (8). Related maladaptive behavior such as excessive use of Internet
or social media, and their associated impact on mental health issues need further exploration.
Specialty section: A holistic approach to clinical evaluation of disorders associated with Internet or gaming
This article was submitted to addiction would involve (a) clear definition of problematic behaviors and disorders, (b) use of
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, accurate diagnostic tools (c) identification of risk factors, and (d) identification of protective factors.
a section of the journal
Frontiers in Psychiatry
THE NEED FOR CLEAR DEFINITION
Received: 06 February 2022
Accepted: 11 February 2022
The prevalence of maladaptive behavior patterns associated with Internet use has garnered global
Published: 15 March 2022
interest. A study in Hong Kong showed that 11.4% of adolescents (n = 1,896) had social
Citation:
networking addiction (Yu and Shek.) A study in Indonesia showed that 19.3% of adolescents
Vasudevan K and Fung DSS (2022)
Editorial: Internet Addiction & Gaming
(n = 2,932) were determined to have Internet addiction (Siste et al.). A South Korean study
Disorders in Children and involving 2,984 adolescents explored defining various forms of Internet users, including gamers.
Adolescents. Overall, 7 different profiles were described. These profiles showed variation in gender, problematic
Front. Psychiatry 13:870177. gaming behavior, as well as neuroticism (Kim et al.). These studies suggested that addictions are
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.870177 associated with various digital forms and need to be differentially identified in clinical assessment.

Frontiers in Psychiatry | www.frontiersin.org 1 March 2022 | Volume 13 | Article 870177

Vasudevan and Fung Editorial: Internet Addiction: A Global Phenomenon?

THE USE OF ACCURATE DIAGNOSTIC IDENTIFICATION OF PROTECTIVE

TOOLS FACTORS
Since the definition of Internet addiction continues to evolve, Studies have also investigated protective factors against the
it becomes challenging to adopt universal diagnostic tools. A development of Internet and gaming addiction. Two separate
meta-analysis that studied the reliability and validity of 5 Gaming studies from Hong Kong had shown that psychological resilience,
Disorder Scales (GAS-7, AICA, IGDT-10, Lemmens IGD-9, and emotional competence, behavioral competence, beliefs in future
IGDS9-SF) showed that they had good internal consistency and as well as spirituality can serve as protective factors (Yu and
test-retest reliability. However, few studies had checked for test- Shek; Tsui and Cheng). Preventative measures in the form of
retest reliability (9). A China-based study evaluated the reliability digital literacy for the public about proper use of the Internet
and internal consistency of the “Chinese Internet Gaming and parental supervision is crucial. Digital competency, which is
Disorder Checklist (C-IGDC)” in determining the presence of a step up from literacy, would be pertinent for parents, schools,
Internet gaming disorder (Chen et al.). We need further research and healthcare professionals. One needs to be proficient in the
into the applicability of these tools in clinical practice across use of technology to provide appropriate guidance to the young.
the globe. It is also important to regulate the use of the Internet in terms of
duration and content (10).
IDENTIFICATION OF RISK FACTORS
DISCUSSION
As clinicians, we are also interested in risk stratification for
a given disorder. There have been various studies that have A multi-disciplinary approach needs to be adopted in the
researched risk factors associated with problematic Internet management of Internet and gaming addiction (Nik Jaafar et
use and gaming addiction. A Hong Kong study identified al.). Non-pharmacological methods should be prioritized and
social competence and a positive identity to be associated should include treatment modalities such as psychotherapy,
with social networking addiction. Parental roles have also and behavioral interventions (11–13). At this stage, the use
been identified to be crucial in the development of social of pharmacotherapy is limited as the understanding of the
networking addiction (Yu and Shek). An Indonesian study had conditions and their underlying mechanisms continue to evolve.
also explored the implication of the COVID-19 pandemic on There is a need for further research in the field to understand how
Internet addiction. It found that increased duration of Internet digital use affects the brains and behaviors of individuals.
use, internalization, externalization, low prosocial behavior as
well as sleep disturbances have been associated with Internet AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
addiction (Siste et al.). A study from Malaysia showed that
KV researched on the topic and consolidated it into the first
age, male gender, ethnicity, and psychosocial factors (stress
draft. DF provided critical comments and editorial suggestions
levels, loneliness, depression, anxiety) are also associated with
for revisions. KV then followed up with the changes. All authors
Internet overdependence (Nik Jaafar et al.). Furthermore, a study
agreed on the submitted version.
from China supported the findings of psychological stress being
associated with increased problematic smart phone use and social ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
media use (Fung et al.). This information provides opportunities
for preventive measures and interventions that target these We would like to thank Drs. Melvyn Weibin Zhang and Cecilia
risk factors. Cheng for their support in creating this topic discussion.

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(2019) 40:335–41. doi: 10.1080/01612840.2018.1534910 under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use,
distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original
Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication
absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use,
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