It's not an addiction if you don't get withdrawal symptoms

For years we've been hearing that if you spend more than X number of hours per week playing video games then you're addicted. It's been blamed for everything from increased college dropout rates to premeditated murder. The Smith & Jones Centre, a medical facility that has a program to treat video game addiction, has come out to say that while frequent gaming may be a social disorder, it is rarely if ever an addiction. And now WhatTheyPlay.com has also taken a stand and done some of their own research on what addiction really means and whether video game addiction actually exists... hint: the answer points to no.

According to the medical definition, habitual use is generally only deemed "addiction" when you have increased tolerance or get cravings or physiological withdrawal symptoms when not using. So from the sounds of things, the video games themselves may not be an addiction - but the caffeine to go with them sure could be!