By Bradley Radu / Staff Writer

With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 released Oct. 23 and Grand Theft Auto VI scheduled for release Nov. 19, some players may find themselves spending more time than usual behind a controller or computer screen.

For most people, gaming remains a hobby. But when playing begins taking priority over sleep, school, exercise, relationships or other responsibilities, medical professionals say it can become a serious health concern.

The World Health Organization recognizes gaming disorder as a condition involving impaired control over gaming, giving gaming priority over other activities and continuing to play despite negative consequences. To qualify as gaming disorder, the behavior normally must cause significant problems in a person’s daily life for an extended period.

Missouri Valley University head esports coach Julian Henderson said the warning signs are similar to those seen with other addictive behaviors.

“If it is affecting you physically, mentally, and socially, then it may be time to intervene,” Henderson said.

Excessive gaming can affect more than a person’s schedule. The WHO has identified health concerns associated with problematic gaming behavior, including insufficient physical activity, unhealthy eating, sleep deprivation, depression and musculoskeletal problems.

Edward Luker, a counselor specializing in psychiatry and psychology with Mayo Clinic Health System, described addiction in a 2022 article published by the health system.

“An addiction is defined as a person’s inability to control use of a substance or behavior, despite negative consequences,” Luker wrote.

Mayo Clinic Health System also lists poor sleep, obesity, eye strain, neck and back problems, anxiety, depression and difficulties with school or work among concerns associated with excessive screen time.

Sleep can be one of the first things players sacrifice.

Missouri Valley University student Brecken Jasper said gaming normally comes after his other responsibilities, but there have been times when he has stayed up longer to continue playing.

“Sometimes I end up ignoring sleep to get a last few rounds of whatever game in,” Jasper said. “Exercise, sleep, and school are strictly above gaming though.”

Jasper said seeing how much time he had accumulated on Steam helped put his gaming habits into perspective.

“Seeing logs on Steam that were above 100 hours of activity in the past two weeks were a big eye opener,” Jasper said.

Bradley Zicherman, a Stanford Medicine psychiatrist who treats young people with behavioral addictions, discussed how video games affect the same reward systems involved in other forms of addiction in a December 2025 article published by Stanford Medicine.

“They all work on our dopamine response pathways in very similar ways,” Zicherman said.

Zicherman said excessive gaming can interfere with sleep, academics, family relationships and social life. He has treated patients who stayed up gaming until 3 or 4 a.m. and then struggled to attend school or function the next day.

Still, spending a large amount of time playing does not automatically mean someone has gaming disorder. The WHO says only a small proportion of people who play video games develop the disorder. The bigger concern is whether gaming begins replacing important parts of everyday life.

For Jasper, that distinction comes down to priorities.

“If you still do everything you need to get done, it’s fine to use your free time on a hobby like gaming,” Jasper said. “Addictive gaming gets in the way of responsibilities.”

Henderson offered similar advice, encouraging players to maintain lives outside of gaming through exercise, relationships and other activities.

“If you have a good, fulfilling life outside of the game, it is harder for any game to take that life over,” Henderson said.

With major releases giving players new reasons to spend hours gaming, recognizing when entertainment begins interfering with physical health, mental health or everyday responsibilities may be just as important as deciding what game to play next.