Nine out of 10 times, anyway. According to a BBC article linked on GamePolitics.com, of the people who have sought treatment at the Smith & Jones Center for video game addiction in Amsterdam — a facility set up specifically to treat such addictions — around 90 percent were not addicted at all.

That figure comes from the center’s founder and head, Keith Bakker. GamePolitics quotes Bakker as per the article:

“These kids come in showing some kind of symptoms that are similar to other addictions and chemical dependencies.  But the more we work with these kids the less I believe we can call this addiction. What many of these kids need is their parents and their school teachers — this is a social problem. …

“Eighty per cent of the young people we see have been bullied at school and feel isolated. Many of the symptoms they have can be solved by going back to good old fashioned communication. …

“If I continue to call gaming an addiction it takes away the element of choice these people have.  It’s a complete shift in my thinking and also a shift in the thinking of my clinic and the way it treats these people.”

The full piece goes into greater detail. It’s interesting reading, whether you’re someone who believes game addiction is a real problem, or someone who doesn’t.