Video game addiction, now a globally recognised illness, seeks a treatment


Kim, founder of Infinite Screentime, watches her daughters play Minecraft in Hong Kong, China. Kim advises parents to play video games with their children and encourages kids to decide how long a game session should last before it starts and plan for intermissions. — Bloomberg

Arcadia Kim devoted her career to video games, until one hit her in the face. The incident happened several years ago when Kim, a former studio operating chief at Electronic Arts Inc, was trying to peel away her then 10-year-old son from a game of Minecraft. He threw the iPad at her in frustration.

Kim, 48, said the experience inspired her to start a business in 2019 advising parents on forming healthy relationships between their kids and their screens. The work took on greater urgency this year when the World Health Organization began formally recognising video game addiction as an illness for the first time.

Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

RM 11.12/month

Billed as RM 11.12 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 9.87/month

Billed as RM 118.40 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Tech News

Australia steps up response to AI after OpenAI bot breaches health system database
Does good data protection for users really stifle tech innovation?
Anthropic’s AI is teaching itself biology. Now it’s made its first discovery
Honor launches X9e Pro from RM1,899 with 6.8in screen, 11,000mAh battery
Autonomous AI hacks raise thorny questions of legal accountability
Ads on ChatGPT: Scepticism of AI recommendations urged
Health wearables can help track trends, but doctors warn against relying on them alone
OpenAI’s AI tried breaching four other targets, without prompting
Berlin police start AI-powered street surveillance
Microsoft, Google confront rising data centre backlash

Others Also Read