Highly Caffeinated Energy Drinks and Teenage Gaming Disorder

"Excessive gaming for hours without breaks is a symptom of a behavioral problem and a coping strategy. Lonely, depressed adolescents often turn to gaming-offering connection, stimulation, and escape. Yet gaming may temporarily soothe distress, but also may worsen it, creating a cycle of plummeting mood and withdrawal from healthier social interaction. Large cross-sectional studies have consistently demonstrated that adolescents with high problematic gaming levels also report more depressive symptoms, loneliness, and social anxiety."

"Prevalence estimates vary, but most studies place problematic gaming around 3-6% of adolescents worldwide, with higher rates in East Asia. According to U.S. data from the Entertainment Software Association, about 53 % of video game players identify as male and 46% identify as female, with 1% non-binary or "other/prefer not to say." Even if participation is close to gender parity, other dimensions (time spent, type of games played) may still skew male."

"Gaming disorder must be separated from recreational or high-engagement gaming. These findings support a clinical reality that not all gaming is harmful, and gaming may buffer against isolation. It is more than a case of frequency or passion for gaming alone. What matters most for a GD diagnosis is the loss of control over gaming and harms. Consequently, a gamer may play a great deal without having a disorder."

Excessive gaming for long hours without breaks often functions as both a behavioral problem and a coping strategy among adolescents. Many lonely or depressed adolescents use gaming to obtain connection, stimulation, and escape, which can temporarily soothe distress but may also worsen mood and reduce engagement in healthier social interaction. Large cross-sectional studies link high problematic gaming with increased depressive symptoms, loneliness, social anxiety, and poorer school performance; many affected adolescents also consume high-dose caffeinated drinks. Problematic gaming affects roughly 3–6% of adolescents worldwide, prevalence is higher in East Asia, and gaming disorder differs from high-engagement gaming by loss of control and harms.

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