Gaming and Sensory Addiction in Autism

Jul 01, 2024

Gaming and Sensory Addiction in Autism

A gaming disorder (GD), or an addiction to games, is a behavioral addiction that can be more common in autistic people than in typically developing individuals.

What is a gaming disorder?

Gaming disorder (GD) is described in the DSM-5 (a reference book that defines mental health and brain-related conditions) under the emerging measures section. The emerging measures section is a part of the DSM-5 that takes note of possible emerging disorders, but does not list those disorders as established conditions. For practical purposes, that means that enough doctors have seen patients with gaming disorder-like symptoms that GD may be a diagnosable condition in the future, but right now further research is needed. In the DSM-5, there are nine symptoms that may be associated with a GD, five of which must be present over a 12-month period to be a likely GD diagnosis:

Preoccupation with video games: The individual may have difficulty turning the game off, be distracted while playing the game, or feel so engrossed in the game that they rush to complete tasks to return to the game.
Withdrawal symptoms: These may include irritability, anxiety, and sadness.
Tolerance build-up: Gradually, affected individuals will need to play the game for longer and longer amounts of time to feel satisfied.
Failure to quit playing the game or failure to control the amount of time spent gaming.
Loss of interest in hobbies as a result of gaming: Gaming has become their main focus.
Continuing to play games even though the person in question has experienced negative consequences as the result of gaming.
Lying about the amount of time spent gaming to avoid guilt or consequences.
Using games to escape negative moods such as guilt, hopelessness, or feelings of depression.
Jeopardizing/losing a job, relationship, or another important opportunity because of excessive gaming.

Why are gaming disorders more prevalent in individuals with autism?

Individuals with autism are more likely to develop a gaming disorder than other groups for a couple of reasons. First, gaming can be a restricted interest for the autistic person. Games can also be a safe place for the autistic person. Games can be a place where autistic people feel less social pressure and where communication is unsullied by the need to read social cues. The idea of a safe space can be extremely appealing to those with autism because it is a judgement-free space that has predictable outcomes.

What is Gelotophobia?

Interestingly, some studies have suggested that gelotophobia may be associated with GD. Gelotophobia is the fear of being laughed at, being made fun of, or being ridiculed. It is particularly prevalent in people who may have difficulty describing emotions – such as individuals with autism, social anxiety, or low self-esteem. Research studying GD has found a relationship between gelotophobia characteristics and higher levels of GD-like symptoms.

What are Some Potential Benefits of Gaming?

While gaming disorders are typically regarded as negative, there are some potential benefits associated with playing games. Games can:

Help people practice social skills and promote language development.
Reduce repetitive behaviors.
Players may learn better when using technology.
Can be used to build executive functioning skills.

What are the Potential Risks of Gaming?

Gaming disorders may be harmful, so there are risks that you should be on the look-out for. Those risks include:

A tendency to use technology in a nonsocial way – a game player may insult or ignore other players.
The game player by be subjected to cyberbullying.
The game may become a stand-in for real-life social interaction, leading to increased social isolation.
Difficulty detaching from device.
Excessive gaming may interfere with sleep (shorter sleep time, takes longer to fall asleep, sleep less efficiently).
Excessive gaming carries with it a possible increased risk for ADHD.
Decreased physical activity leads to a risk of obesity.
Worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety.

In general, adolescents are vulnerable to a gaming disorder because the part of their brain responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, and judgment (the prefrontal cortex) is not fully developed yet. Therefore, an addiction to gaming can cause reduced motivation, stress management, and inhibition control. Studies have also shown that there is an internal reward system when gaming, similar to other types of addiction, which explains the appeal and desire to play continuously.

Article by: Nicole Steel and The Autism ToolKit