Originally the term referred to physiological dependence on a drug. Nowadays, people use the term "addiction" to describe any type of excessive behavior, such as eating too much chocolate. But even if researchers avoid this use, they recognize that some pastimes, such as gambling, can become pathological and resemble a true addiction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayAnd some kids who play video games meet the clinical criteria for an "addiction" in this sense. Video games dominate their lives. Playing gives them a sense of exhilaration, or at least a sense of relief from unpleasant feelings. Children experience “withdrawal” if they are denied access to play. And gaming interferes with everyday life, including school and social relationships (Gentile 2009). So pathological gaming is about more than the time your child spends playing. These are video games that take over his life. While most people associate addiction with substances, such as drugs or alcohol, doctors also recognize addictive behaviors. In a WebMD article on the definition of addiction, psychiatrist Michael Brody, MD, established the following criteria: The person needs more and more of a substance or behavior to keep going. If the person does not take up more of the substance or behavior, he or she becomes irritable and unhappy. Young says compulsive gambling meets these criteria and has seen severe withdrawal symptoms in addicts. "They become angry, violent or depressed. If [the parents] take away the computer, their child sits in the corner and cries, refusing to eat, sleep or do anything." Currently, there is no single, universally agreed upon definition of video game addiction. There is no set number of hours one must play to be considered addicted to video games. Most definitions of video game addiction refer to excessive gaming that results in negative emotional, social, relational, educational, or career-related consequences. Instead of devoting energy to “real world” activities and occupations, a video game addict spends most of his or her time playing games. Someone who has developed an addiction to video games prioritizes gaming achievement over all other activities such as spending time with friends and family, academic achievement, job performance, and interpersonal relationships. Video game addiction can also be defined as a severe loss of control over games that leads to significant harm to the player in the real world. There is no single factor that makes video games so appealing to children (or adults). Something in a game that fascinates one child may seem quite boring to another. The key is that no matter what your child is interested in or involved in… there is probably a video game that allows them to easily escape into this virtual world. Children who in past generations may have spent hours playing “cops and cops” or “war” today may be fascinated by first-person shooters like “Call of Duty” or “Halo.” Today, children interested in sports may be more likely to live out their fantasies in a video game than on a real field. Teens interested in fantasy worlds and exploration may be drawn to games like "World of Warcraft" rather than reading novels like "The Lord of the Rings." The children who used to spend hours creating impressive structures with Lego.