Many people have turned to video games to pass the time while social distancing at home. Data analysis company NPD Group reported a $1.6 billion surge in video game sales in March.

We’re spending much more time at home and that means more video games. The immediate relief is hard to resist, just like drug addiction. It’s a situation that is taken more seriously now and even before the pandemic started.

In 2018, the World Health Organization classified Gaming Disorder as a legitimate medical condition characterized by "impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities…and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”

A diagnosis is rare and usually involves extreme situations. However, it can never hurt to ask a doctor about gaming addiction. According to some researchers, it often leads to poor performance in school and work and even poor personal hygiene.