A recent study of the Macquarie University from Sydney revealed the risk factors of the video game addictionthe. The study shows how the most vulnerable young people develop the condition called Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), they feel disconnected from families e powerless in the external environment. Let’s find out all the details together.
Video game addiction: here are the risk factors
There are many Australian teenagers, and around the world, who engage in video games until they reach almost pathological levels. According to a recent Australian study these teenagers, in the most advanced casesshow some rather worrying symptoms such as prolonged refusal of schoolup to threats of self-harm e aggression towards family members.
For their research, researchers from Macquarie University in Sydney looked at about 900 students middle classes in a high school in a socially advantaged area. Research has shown that 24 of them they met the criteria for addiction to internet video games. In the group we find again 14 males and 9 females.
According to Wayne Warburtona professor of developmental psychology who participated in the study, the likelihood of a teenager suffer from clinical problems with video games increases with risk factors, including being malesto have low self-esteem e feeling socially isolated.
Warburton stated that teens who constantly live with video games do so because these devices offer them something that is missing in real life. Furthermore, in the world of the internet and in the game, these teenagers find their place and can often distract them from real life, making them feel socially isolated.
In video games, teenagers manage to have control of the game itself he was born in own environmentwhich is missing in reality.
However, behavioral addiction can be addressed by targeting risk factors, such as encourage self-confidence e dealing with relationship problems leading to social isolation. In fact, the study reports that the risk is reduced in young people who have higher self-esteem and who are socially connected with their parents.
For more information you can consult this video available on the YouTube channel of Macquarie University in Sydney.