Identifying the Factors Influencing Online Gaming Addiction (A Qualitative Study)
Sajad Aminimanesh
1
(
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran
)
Keywords: Addiction, Online Games, Adolescents,
Abstract :
The increasing expansion of online games has become a major source of concern for parents and professionals in recent years. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the factors affecting online games addiction. In this qualitative research, the sample included 13 adolescents who had been selected using purposeful sampling and had met a set of criteria for entering the study. The data collected from semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis.The results revealed 536 primary codes and 13 subcategories that were classified into three main categories: Personal factors including sensation seeking, attitude toward game, need for advancement and purposefulness; family factors including cyber specific parenting, family emotional atmosphere, parental modeling, parents' awareness, parents’ attitude; and social factors including socializing, accessibility, affiliation with gamers, social restriction. According to the results, it is necessary to consider these factors for prevention, harm reduction, and treatment of online gaming addiction. In general, prevention of excessive use of online games requires a proper planning for leisure time and providing facilities for directing adolescences toward alternative behaviors.
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