ReviewCureus2026
Internet Gaming Addiction in Children and Adolescents: A Narrative Review in the Context of Screen Time.
Review in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Internet gaming addiction in children and adolescents is an emerging clinical and public health concern within the broader context of increasing recreational screen exposure. Despite growing recognition of gaming disorder, uncertainty remains regarding its distinction from high recreational gaming, its relationship with screen time, and the most appropriate prevention and management strategies for pediatric populations. This narrative review aimed to synthesise evidence published between 2013 and 2026 on diagnostic concepts, epidemiological patterns, screen-time context, mental and physical health associations, and intervention approaches for problematic gaming in children and adolescents. Relevant literature was reviewed and organised into diagnostic, clinical, public health, and therapeutic domains. The conclusions were derived from qualitative narrative synthesis rather than pooled quantitative analysis. Current evidence indicates that gaming disorder should not be defined by screen-time duration alone, but by impaired control, persistence despite harm, prioritisation of gaming over essential activities, and functional impairment across academic, social, developmental, and family domains. Prevalence estimates vary because of differences in diagnostic criteria, assessment tools, cultural gaming practices, and study populations. Excessive gaming commonly overlaps with emotional symptoms, sleep disturbance, sedentary behaviour, reduced physical activity, academic difficulties, social withdrawal, and family conflict. Available evidence suggests potential benefit from multidimensional management involving validated assessment, cognitive behavioural strategies, relapse prevention, parental involvement, school-based digital literacy, structured offline activities, and coordinated pediatric mental health care. Screen-time reduction is important, but restriction alone is insufficient. Given the absence of formal evidence grading and risk-of-bias assessment, conclusions regarding intervention effectiveness should be interpreted cautiously. Pediatric gaming disorder requires impairment-based assessment and developmentally appropriate, family-supported intervention rather than simple screen-time control.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.