DIGITAL GAME ADDICTION AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNGER ADULTS: A CURRENT OVERVIEW

The games that adolescents and young people used to play in the play grounds and on the streets have been replaced in recent years with cyber games played in front of the computer on the internet or in game arcades. This changing culture has particularly brought up the concept of "digital game addiction", a condition that stems from the steadily growing passion for digital games and their excessived and uncontrolled usage among adolescents and young people. Game addiction in the psychiatry literature has been described as an impulse control disorder characterized by the symptoms such as "the inability to control the time spent on game-playing", "a loss of interest in other activities", "continuing to play despite the adverse effects" and "feeling psychologically deprived when not being able to play"."Although digital game addiction has not been accepted by psychiatric authorities as a psychiatric disorder yet, the increasing psychiatry referrals due to the problems accompanying this disorder, the efforts of families to seek support and solutions, the evidence that similarities with other types of addiction have been revealed by researchers, as well as the current prevalence rates are all factors that suggest the existence of important of the examination of issue. Despite the discussions about the digital game addiction, the literature on the subject is increasing. This article offers an overview of digital game-playing behavior in the light of current literature, seeking to share its findings with health care professionals.

"Digital games are among the popular and widely used entertainment tools among adolescents and adults. Numerous studies have demonstrated several positive effects of digital games as well as the concept of “digital gaming addiction”. Digital gaming addiction is better defined by the negative outcomes rather than the time spent on games. Uncontrolled use of violent digital games threatens mental health, however, such activities should not be considered the only cause of mental problems. Educational and developmental digital games may contribute to mental development in adolescents when used in a controlled way and within certain time limits. In Turkey, the high proportion of young people within the general population, popular use of digital technologies, and insufficient monitoring of game use makes digital game addiction a significant public health concern." (Irmak & Erdogan, 2016, pp.134-135)