Video Game Addiction: Is it Real?

In this article I aim to take a modestly comprehensive look at the notion of video game addiction, and try to get to the bottom of the hype. Is video game addiction real, or not? Is it fact, or fiction? Truth, or Lie? Is it a reality facing gamers today, or a total myth? Is it a symptom of some other problem (perhaps an impulse control disorder), a condemnation of 'too much time' spent on a hobby unbecoming of an older teenager or even adult (as judged by a non gamer, usually issued forth through the cavernous maw that is a generation gap), a cultural phenomenon, perhaps the manifestation of an attempted escape from too much educational pressure put on the youth, or something else?
                
And if it is indeed real, are the video games an outlet for an addicted personality, or are they a causal factor? Does that distinction even matter? And, lastly, if it is indeed real, if there are people out there who seem to be addicted to video games, what does the research say regarding incidence rates, severity, and treatment outcomes? Is the media reporting this fairly, not taking it seriously enough, or blowing it way out of proportion?

These questions and more are going to be addressed as I tackle the issue of video game addiction. Is it fact or fiction?