For lige over et år siden fik den opdaterede liste af World Health Organizations mange til at stoppe op med hævede øjenbryn, for på listen over sygdomme, mentale som fysiske, indgik "Gaming Disorder", til trods for at misbruget af mange andre hobbyer ikke gjorde. Dette har siden skabt røre i både spilbranchen og i lægeverdenen.
Skulle du endnu ikke have læst den officielle beskrivelse i WHO-rapporten, så findes den her:
"Gaming disorder is characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour ('digital gaming' or 'video-gaming'), which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by: 1) impaired control over gaming (e.g., onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context); 2) increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and 3) continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences."
Nu rapporterer Reuters, at repræsentanter fra Entertainment Software Association har forsøgt at overbevise WHO om at inklusionen af Gaming Disorder er forkert, eller i det mindste for tidligt at sige noget definitivt om.
"It's our hope that through continued dialogue we can help the WHO avoid rushed action and mistakes that could take years to correct," siger ESA-chefen Stanley Pierre-Louis.
Endnu et møde er planlagt senere i år.