Menu Close
DOWNLOAD THE E-MAGAZINE - DIGITAL WELLBEING for free FOR APPOINTMENT FOR COUNSELLING, CALL / WHATSAPP - +91 9487362724

Discussion & Counselling Practice

Discussion

Adolescent participants’ experience of internet gaming in this study is consistent with the findings of previous studies. Participants with IGD show tolerance in gaming and loss of interest in the previously enjoyed activities which are expected symptoms of IGD as described by APA (2013). Social withdrawal and neglect of academic work just to play internet games are noticeable among IGD group which previous studies pointed out (i.e., Young, 2009; Salguero & Moran, 2002).

Withdrawal characterized by feelings of worry, boredom, sadness, frustration and anger when prevented from playing (Young, 2009) are manifested among the participants. One noticeable result in this study is that, highly engaged gamers did not develop withdrawal symptoms when their internet gaming is stopped while those with IGD manifested withdrawal symptoms by deceiving their parents. They hide their gaming activity in their friends’ house/unfamiliar internet cafes instead of the usual prolonged gaming at home.

Physiological reactions like developing hunchback and blisters in their hands are commonly shared by the adolescents with IGD while sleep deprivation is true to both adolescents with IGD and highly engaged gamers. These physical outcomes are consistent with Young’s (2009) and Griffiths et al.’s (2004) findings.

The risk factors in developing IGD which stood as a major theme are no different from this study and literatures reviewed. Most respondents of the disorder group play seven days a week, for 40 to 60 hours, with the longest weekly session ranging from 12 to 19 hours. Heavy online gamers have significantly more frequent sessions, and spend significantly longer time per session compared to light online gamers (Lo et al., 2005 as cited in Li et al., 2014). Further, persons with IGD spend 30 hours or more per week for gaming (APA, 2013a). Beranuy et al. (2013) noted a positive correlation between duration of gaming and development of symptoms of IGD. This appears to be true for the respondents of the disorder group in this study as well. The study found that Filipino adolescents with IGD generally play to escape from psychosocial problems and worries, avoid boredom and to relieve stress. APA (2013) noted that the reason given for gaming by individuals with IGD is usually “avoiding boredom” (p.797). Further, Hussain and Griffiths (2009) found that 41% online gamers play to escape. In addition many other authors (Beranuy et al., 2013; Kwon, et al., 2011; Young, 2009) have also found escape as an antecedent for IGD. Thus, gaming to escape/cope found in the current study concurs with several other previous studies.

Filipino adolescents in the current study also played to reduce negative feelings such as anger, stress, hurt, disappointment, and feelings of rejection. This is consistent with the finding of Wan and Chiou (2006) that some gamers with IGD play to relieve dissatisfaction rather than to pursue satisfaction and Hussain and Griffiths’ (2009) finding that about one third of gamers turn to online gaming to reduce negative feelings such as anger, stress and frustration.

The respondents of the disorder group also typically play due to peer influence and to seek recognition from peers by leveling up, gaining status among peers and getting respect from peers. Based on a study in the US, the authors posited that playing online games with peers protects against development of IGD since the gamers are able to have a perspective of the negative impact of their game from outside of the game and be better monitor, evaluate and self regulate their gaming. This may be true for gamers from individualistic cultures. In contrast, Filipino adolescent gamers with IGD, coming from a collectivist culture, try to level up with their peers who are ahead of them in the game. This is evident when the respondents in the present study said that they played to level up with their peers. For Filipino adolescents, life satisfaction comes from fulfilling social obligations and gratifying social relations. The goals of Filipino adolescents have consistently shown to be moving away from individualistic ones and towards meeting social obligations and commitments (Sta. Maria, 2012).

For the respondents of the highly engaged gamers group, there is family rule in place and parents control the amount of their internet gaming. Filipino parents usually set rules on adolescent activities (Gastardo-­‐Conaco et al., 2003 cited by Sta. Maria, 2012). Qualitative good communication and parents setting rules regarding content of internet use help prevent development of compulsive internet use (Van den Eijnden et al., 2010).

Warning signs of IGD is another major theme that came out. Consistent with DSM-­‐5 criteria for IGD (APA, 2013a), the current study found that the respondents of both disorder group and highly engaged group are preoccupied with internet gaming. These symptoms are also consistent with Young’s (2009) warning signs of IGD. These are peripheral symptoms which precede core symptoms normally experienced by gamers with IGD (Charlton & Danforth, 2007).

Further, almost all the respondents of the disorder group conceal their gaming from their parents and as a result, parents are unaware of the extent of their internet gaming and so they do not attempt to regulate their gaming which further contributes to the maintenance of IGD. To avoid conflict, some gamers lie about the amount of their gaming (Young, 2009).

The limited symptoms experienced by the highly engaged gamers are indication of their control over gaming and moderate use of game. It is to be noted that none of the highly engaged gamers experience any of the three widely recognized core symptoms of IGD (King et al., 2013) namely withdrawal, loss of control and conflict.

Ramification of IGD includes conflict and relationship problems and declining of grades. Personal life problems generally encountered by the Filipino adolescent gamers with IGD include break up with girl friend and interpersonal problem with parents and siblings. Preference for game over girl friend and gaming over social activity found in the present study are consistent with Young’s (2009) finding that gamers with IGD are so preoccupied with gaming that they are willing to forgo real life human interaction simply to experience spending time in the world of virtual reality.

Academic problems for the Filipino adolescent respondents of the disorder group is generally marked by declining grades and academic failures which is consistent with the findings of several previous studies (e.g., APA, 2013a; Chiu et al, 2004; Young, 2009).

Further, the respondents of the disorder group generally diagnose themselves as addicted to internet gaming. This is a clear indication of their awareness of the problem and willingness to admit it. This finding contradicts the finding of Young (2009) that the adolescents with IGD often deny their problems.

Implications for Counselling Practice

The school counselors can play a significant role in providing timely and effective intervention for adolescents with IGD. Counselors need to incorporate interview, observation and testing to assess IGD and highly engaged gamers and plan effective ways of helping students. The current study shows that familial factors such as parental control plays protective role against development of IGD. This information is helpful in coming up with a home and school collaboration programs for Filipino adolescents.

The results of this study show that IGD is psychological health issue and declining of grades is one of its consequences. Hence schools in Metro Manila need to equip themselves to deal with this new phenomenon with a two prong strategy: prevention and treatment. Intervention needs to focus on early identification of adolescents with IGD and providing them with evidence based treatment. The school teachers are in an advantageous position to detect warning signs of IGD such as incomplete or poorly done home works/assignments, failure to meet academic deadlines, social withdrawal, sleepiness in class, development of hunchback, complaints of headache, lack of attention in class, declining grades or failing grades. Once such warning signs are noticed in a student, the teachers need to find out if these signs are due to excessive internet gaming and thereby appropriate referrals need to be made.