Sioni, Sasha R., et al. “Internet Gaming Disorder: Social Phobia and Identifying with Your Virtual Self.” Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 71, June 2017, pp. 11-15. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.01.044.
Role playing games allow for users to entertain and socialize. However, some users have become dependent on these games leading the psychological and health problems. These individuals have been diagnosed with a disorder known as Internet Gaming Disorder. This studies observes risk factors mainly social phobia and player-avatar identification. They found that people who are uncomfortable and anxious in face to face conversations use role playing games as a way to form relationships with other individuals. They also use avatars as a way to create a unique self-identity for the players. They found that people who have social phobias and player avatar identification are strong factors associated with individuals with Internet Gaming Disorder.
