Abstract

The diagnostic category of Dependence includes both substance abuse and behavioural problems. That theoretical framework, not yet entirely defined from the American Psychiatric Association (APA), may include adolescents videogame and gambling addictions. After a classification of the different kinds of videogames and gambling activities among adolescents, we present researches investigating the relevance of family and peer variables. From the literature a not well definite pattern of results is highlighted. The reason of it seems to come from the lack of studies that use specific diagnostic and evaluative instruments, and from the lack of a more integrated theoretical framework which takes into account the more relevant characteristics of slot machines and videogames.