Internet Addiction and the Virtual Self-image

Abstract

BackgroundInternet gaming disorder appears to be associated with self-concept deficits and increased identification with one's avatar. For increased social network use, the few existing studies suggest striatal-related positive social feedback as an underlying factor. Furthermore, few study findings indicate that internet addicts generally have problems in emotional inhibitory control processing.MethodsPathological and addicted internet gamers as well as social network users were compared with healthy controls regarding psychometric and neurobiological measures of self-concept-related characteristics, avatar identification and emotional inhibitory control processing.Results and conclusionPsychometric results indicated that both subgroups showed higher self-concept deficits compared to healthy controls. Neurobiologically, different brain activation patterns were observed in the subgroups during self-knowledge retrieval and inhibition of emotional stimuli. Furthermore, addicted internet gamers showed a higher identification with the own avatar, mirrored in an increased left angular gyrus activation, a region functionally associated with identification processing and feelings of empathy.These findings provide a starting point for the deduction of specific psychotherapeutic treatment approaches for addicted internet gamers and social network users.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Risks and Opportunities for Youth in the Digital Era

“…Aiming to examine in particular the neurobiological correlates underpinning the link between digital media users and their avatars, Leménager and colleagues (2017) used a mixed-methods design. Three groups of 19 participants, each classified as disordered gamers, disordered social networking users, and control group were assessed via functional magnetic resonance imaging and psychometric scales.…”

Esports and Traditional sports players: An exploration of psychosocial profile

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