For many, it's a constant companion - the first thing viewed in the morning and the last thing seen at night. In the era of smartphones and tablets, access to digital media is constantly one click way. Last year, the World Health Organization added gaming disorder to its list of diseases. And these days, therapists are increasingly dealing with, Internet addiction. CGTN's Hendrik Sybrandy explains.

It's Friday night in Lakewood, Colorado, and electronic sports enthusiasts do battle on-screen and with each other.

"E-sports is exploding. It's growing hand over fist." Says James Love with Localhost Arena, which opened up here in December. Practice has paid off for Jeremiah Allen whose talent for playing the video game Fortnite is encouraged by his dad. "He's putting anywhere from two to five hours a day." That was Forrest Barnes, a recovering YouTube video and video game addict who now sits on the other end of the stimulation spectrum.

FORREST BARNES RECOVERING GAMING ADDICT "I was in a pretty steep nose dive. I actually was watching it double speed even, so I effectively consumed about 190 hours of YouTube content in a single week."

Started costing him, he says, in his studies and in life.

FORREST BARNES RECOVERING GAMING ADDICT "It eventually came to a head last semester when I almost failed almost every course I was taking. And I decided I couldn't do it anymore."

HENDRIK SYBRANDY DENVER "Barnes came to a place called the Digital Media Treatment and Education Center, which specializes in treating people with digital addiction. The center says its research shows up to 18 percent of young adults and nearly 10 percent of adolescents fall into that category."

TRACY MARKLE DIGITAL MEDIA TREATMENT & EDUCATION CENTER "It's absolutely an under-recognized problem, and it's an overlooked problem."

Tracy Markle, co-founder of the center, argues screen overuse can be quite damaging.

TRACY MARKLE DIGITAL MEDIA TREATMENT & EDUCATION CENTER "Not performing well at work, potentially losing a job, not having effective self-care."

Not to mention not connecting well with others. The center employs coaching and support groups as part of its treatment.

TRACY MARKLE DIGITAL MEDIA TREATMENT & EDUCATION CENTER "We approach it through the lens of harm reduction and through the lens of abstinence. So we get creative with every client that we have to figure out what plan will be most effective for them."

Markle says while Europe and China have long dealt with the digital addiction issue, the U.S. still lags behind in this area. Love says esports is often a force for good. His company runs summer camps for gamers to help them become more well-rounded individuals.

JAMES LOVE N3RD STREET GAMERS COMMUNICATIONS DIR. "We teach better communication, not rage quitting and how to lose gracefully and win with dignity."

Barnes has gone YouTube and gaming-free for several months now.

FORREST BARNES RECOVERING GAMING ADDICT "Initially, it was very tough."

It's up to each person to recognize and fix their screen addiction, he says, and ensure that it doesn't dominate their lives. Hendrik Sybrandy, CGTN, Denver.