Dr Le
Articles
Hi subscribers, thank you for checking out my online blog cgiclinic.com
I hope this site will give you a useful perspective that will help you better understand computer, gaming and Internet technologies and its effects.
For my first post, I will discuss "what we know now is already obsolete."
1/ The first thing I was told in Medical SchoolThe first thing I was told in medical school was "what we know now in medicine, will be different in 10 years time."
For example in 1952, homosexuality was considered a mental disorder in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (the text used by psychiatrists to categorise psychiatric conditions). Homosexuality was no longer considered a disorder in 1974, over 20 years later. When I first came across the term "Internet Addiction" in 2008, it was considered an "impulse control disorder," a concept associated with gambling. In 2013, it was considered a "disorder for further investigation" as "Internet Gaming Disorder" (APA, 2013). Will Internet Gaming Disorder be considered a problem in the future? Or will society accept that living online will be a normal part of human life? Read my blog post on this here.
2/ The Internet turned 45 years oldCan you believe that in 2014, the Internet turned 45 and the World Wide Web turned 25 years old? The computer games of today are played on vastly more advanced technology (Xbox 360 and PS3 came out roughly 10 years ago). In addition to hardware and software advances, the biggest game changer in gameplay in my opinion was the Internet, which allowed us to have infinite possibilities of gameplay by interacting with other players around the world.
Virtual headsets will be here in the near future (IGN 2015). What kind of technology will we have in 2025? Moore's Law observes that the number of microprocessors in computer hardware has doubled approximately every two years (Moore, 1965). Will technology of the future be so advanced it will be seamless with reality? Will this be a problem or a solution for society? Read my blog post on this here.
3/ If I can stay up to date, you can stay up to date tooLastly, I accept that what I know about computer, gaming and Internet technologies is already obsolete. I take this into account with my research, clinical work and blog posts. I acknowledge that I must stay open, think outside the box and evolve. That is why I stay up to date, surround myself with experts and do the hard work of reading the scientific papers to update my subscribers.
In my clinical work, I keep an open mind and try not to pathologise computer, gaming and Internet related behaviour. If the gaming behaviour is linked to an existing mental health condition then of course I will manage this accordingly. You won't find me using the word "addiction" on this site as I do not find this term useful in helping others look at their behaviour. I use my knowledge in gaming and mental health to help young people, their families and educational/health professionals understand their use better. By offering a different perspective, I aim to help others achieve their goals.
References:American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Pub, 2013.
