One of the more tolerable non-music related shows on MTV these days is the True Life series. The show debuted in 1998 and has covered a number of important topics, documenting everything from young people with serious illness to teenagers getting married, having kids, and getting divorced. Now the show plans to focus its lens on videogame addiction. The cable network has recently posted an online casting call looking for gamers aged between 18 and 29 whose gaming habits have begun to take over their lives, to affect their relationships with others, and to negatively impact their careers.
MTV’s decision to focus on game addiction is timely. After a comprehensive study conducted in 2006, the American Medical Association has recommended that videogame addiction be added to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and be recognized as a valid disease.
