The Faces of Social Psychology

When I tell people that I am working on computer games, every once in a while, someone would ask me: “My son is a game addict, what shall I do?” From their perspective, playing computer games is a dangerous behavior that isolates their sons from their family and peers and other social interactions. Some of the media effects studies support the parents’ concerns that gaming could be highly addictive[1].

However, parents and some times the players use the word "addicted" for "extreme enjoyment". The question is why are their sons so attracted to playing computer games? Why are their kids playing so intensely, for so long, forgetting about everything and everyone else in the world?

From a macro-social perspective, with House’s approach on psychological sociology, urbanization could be a reason for this addiction. Are those kids allowed to play outside? Do they discover the neighborhood with other kids? Can they safely use the urban space to play? Are the game addiction rates in the rural areas as high as in the urban areas? How does the macro-social process of urbanization affect the availability of safe play spaces? With that perspective, Henry Jenkins[2] argues that computer games have been the new means of discovering the space and it is the new backyard that is safe to play without parents intervention.

From a psychological social psychology perspective, the problem of excessive game play would be examined by looking at the kids’ attitudes toward the games they play along with the satisfaction they get from playing the game. Current media studies through the uses and gratifications theory support that there are different motives to play computer games[3]. Some kids play games to isolate themselves, while others play to socialize – since they play with other friends online or with others in the same room. With that perspective, since we can determine the reason, it is easier to determine "what to do" to solve the kids' "addiction" problem.

For me, from either of the perspectives, the computer game serves a purpose for the kid. It becomes a safe space THEY choose to explore, conquer and then throw into trash. It gratifies a need to consume a space with or without other real people of their choosing.


[1] Sparks, G. G. (2006). Media effects research. (2nd edition). Canada: Thomson Wadsworth.
[2] Jenkins, H. (nd.) Complete Freedom Of Movement: Vıdeo Games As Gendered Play Spaces. Retrieved on Aug, 29, 2008 from http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/pub/complete.html
[3] Lucas, K., Sherry, J. L. (2004). Sex Differences in Video Game Play: A Communication-Based Explanation. Communication Research, 31 (499). Retrieved on Jan 15, 2007 from http://crx.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/31/5/499