Digital Game Addiction From The Perspective of Children Aged 10-14 Years: A Phenomenological Research

The purpose of this study is to reveal the digital game addiction from children’s perspective between the ages of 10 and 14 and how they are affected by digital games. In this context, the phenomenology pattern was adopted. Criterion sampling which is one of the purposeful sampling methods was chosen in the selection of participants. Data collected via individual interviews with 24 children who are included in the sampling were analyzed by using content analysis techniques. Findings showed that the majority of children liken digital game addiction to substance addiction. Children explained that digital games caused addiction because of the several factors such as completing mission, winning the game, passing to the next level and entertaining. It was concluded that digital games affect children academically, socially, physically and psychologically. Besides, while addicted children mostly expressed the effects of “increasing in tendency to violence”, non-addicted children also stated the effects of “entertainment”. It was determined that social isolation and the disruption of family relationships become prominent in the effects of digital games on children’s social life. Furthermore, children stated that digital games cause skeletal and muscular system disorders and weight gain as well as children mostly mentioned eye diseases among the physical effects of digital games.