Game Detox Business in it's true color. Blood test to determine game addiction?
"We are looking forward to treating Internet game addiction and creating a smart healthcare service industry."
"Diagnose game addiction through blood tests."

On Wednesday 12th, InVen confirmed a report on the Internet game detox business that was promoted by the previous administration. The report is somewhat absurd that game addiction can be diagnosed through blood, such as a diabetes test. It also includes plans to build a new business through game addiction.

In the past, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (Hushin Ministry of Science, ICT and Information and Communication, and the Ministry of Small and Medium Venture Business) injected 22.16 billion won with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of WonmenFamily (Known as Ministry of Gender Equality in west) to conduct the "brain science and resource technology development project" from 2014.

The business goal is to establish a customized prevention, diagnosis and treatment system based on the scientific causes of Internet game addiction. The main theme was that game addiction develops a cure based on the perception that it is a disease.

Major tasks for this business are developing smart healthcare systems (Professor Kim Dae-jin) by investigating the brain-scanning causes of Internet game addiction, finding biomarkers that integrate Internet game addiction based on blood samples and developing predictive models (Professor Jeong Yeon-jun), developing MRI-based video-induced brain stimulation control systems for treating Internet game addiction, and developing biometric game addiction-based game-related programs.

"Internet game detox business is a project that was conducted for scientific understanding of internet and game overdependence as part of R&D project to solve social problems, and it was not carried out to set games as a disease or treatment target and to provide grounds for them." said the Ministry of Science and Technology.

A Smart Health Care System Based on the Brain-Scientific Causes of Internet Game Addiction
Professor Kim Dae-jin's research team (2.3 billion won)

"We are going to develop software related to smart healthcare service platforms by establishing diagnostic indicators based on smart devices and identifying the causes of brainwashing of Internet game addiction, biometric signals and big data analysis." said Professor Kim Dae-jin of Catholic University of Korea. "The size of the smart healthcare IT market exceeded $17.5 billion in the global market and $100 million in Korea in 2015," he added. "We will be able to compete in the fast-growing global smart health market."

In the report, addiction to Internet games was cited as a reason for the country's declining productivity, hampering social integration. "In particular, the fact that Internet game addiction is found in teenagers is very worrisome in terms of brain development," the research team said. "There is an urgent need for proper prevention and treatment policies for excessive use of the Internet and games."

"We found that overreliance on Internet games is related to the brain," said Kim Dae-jin, a researcher at the institute. "The results of multidisciplinary research have been derived through effective data processing of the causes of Internet game addiction, diagnosis and prevention."

"The research, which started with insufficient research bases on neurobiological characteristics compared to research related to psychological and social characteristics of Internet game over-dependence, played a leading role in neurobiological investigation of Internet game over-dependence worldwide," he added. "By analyzing big data using objective information based on smart devices, we have prepared a foundation for commercializing self-developed smart healthcare services."

-Structure of Internet game detox business as of 2017.

Kim Dae-jin and his team emphasized economic and industrial aspects as they plan to use them in the future. "We are looking forward to creating jobs and value added in the smart healthcare service industry," the research team said. "By preparing a framework for building services in the form of smart platforms, which is one of the pillars of the next generation convergence healthcare industry, we can develop into a new growth engine for the Korean economy."

In terms of medicine, the research team, Kim Dae-jin, wrote that it provides an opportunity to find an appropriate target molecule "drug candidate" that can control the core behavior and cognitive changes of behavioral addiction that will lead to further research. This shows that he considered using drugs to treat Internet game addiction.

Meanwhile, Kim Dae-jin's research team plan, which was originally scheduled to be worth 5.1 billion won, was implemented after being reduced to 2.1 billion won for three years. In response, the industry official said, The Park Geun-hye administration in a plan in place changes to the impeachment, and strange as it was presented, and regime change in the end, Internet games.Analysis of toxins inside the business seems to have to be ending a notable achievement. ".

A Study on the Development of an Integrated Biomarker for Internet Game Addiction Based on Blood Specimens
Professor Jeong Yeon-joon's research team (1.2 billion won)

▲ Extract: Professor Jeong Yeon-jun's research team report

Jeong Yeon-jun, a research team, tried to find the peculiarities of Internet game addiction, just like diagnosing cancer through blood tests. To this end, the research team compared 311 blood DNA samples with 280 blood plasma samples. Based on a study that Internet game addiction is similar to a drug or alcohol addiction, the research team calculated that gene polymorphic marker (SNP) is similar to a drug or alcohol addiction risk.

"There are studies that show that Internet game addiction is caused by genetic factors rather than environmental factors," said Jeong Yeon-jun, a research team in 2017. However, controversy is expected as it is still under discussion whether the reason for the over-injection of Internet games is due to natural causes or acquired factors such as family environment and social changes.

Jeong Yeon-jun and his research team applied for a patent in 2018 to diagnose Internet game addiction by using circulating miRNA (rebonucleic acid) as a biomarker. The Korean Intellectual Property Office recognized the patent for the method of Jeong Yeon-jun's research team and disclosed it on Jan. 6, 2020. Its characteristic is that it can easily determine whether or not it is addicted to Internet games without surgical procedures.

"Since the creation for diagnosing Internet game disorders can be used as a biomarker, it can be used as a new way to prevent or treat game disorders," said Jeong Yeon-jun, a research team.

"There are very few examples of studies that have been used for meaningful results," said the doctor, who asked not to be identified. "There is no cross-research to prove the feasibility. He added, "The relevant research team itself listed the lack of cases, but it is questionable that the cases that have not been repeatedly verified have been patented."

There are also logical errors in research. "The team analyzed the samples of those who diagnosed them as addicts and picked the difference between normal people, which is too much to expect to be related to the actual addicted forces," he said.

In addition, he pointed out that the graph contained in the study shows that people with and without diseases do not differ that much, and that areas of overlap are also less sensitive and unusual.

Lee Jang-joo, director of the E-Rak Digital Culture Institute, said, "There are studies using miRNA for physical diseases such as cancer and diabetes, but there is a lot of common sense and theoretical controversy as to whether they can be applied to things classified as mental disorders."

"At the moment, the ministry and game industry officials should actively deal with the issue," said Lee Jang-joo. "Once it spreads socially, it is likely that game addiction will be mistaken as a physical condition that can be examined through blood instead of a controversy over the validity of the patent."