L’utilisation addictive des jeux vidéo est-elle une solution adaptative à la perception de soi et à la symptomatologie dépressive des jeunes adolescents (11–14 ans) ?

Abstract

ObjectivesThe video game is part to social and economic current events. It's also one of preferential activities of adolescents. However, video gaming is associated to negative image and is sometimes considered as a problematic behavior. Thus, video games addiction becomes an object of the clinic. The avatar –character from the video game embodied, directed and played by the player –and the virtual world –namely the environment of the avatar– are the two essential components of any video game. The avatar would be a possibility to change different parts of self. In addition, depression is a comorbidity of addiction and cyberaddiction. Moreover, in reference of the self-discrepancy theory, depressive symptomatology should correspond to a significant gap between the actual self and the ideal self. The aim of this study is to provide an understanding of the addictive videogame behavior, in the light of the “real” and “virtual” self-perception and of the depressive symptomatology. MethodsThis work was conducted with 74 adolescents aged from 11 to 14 years (Mage=12.78 and SD=0.921). The instruments used were the Game Addiction Scale, the Profile of self-perception - used with two different instructions in order to measure the perception about real and virtual self - and the Child Depression Inventory. ResultsRegarding GAS scores from the 74 adolescents, 14 adolescents were considered as addicted to video games, and 15 adolescents presented a depressive symptomatology. The results showed that this “depressive” adolescents had a perception of real and virtual self less than others adolescents, their virtual self-perception tended to be greater than real self-perception. In addition, adolescents considered as addicted to video games presented a depressive symptomatology higher than other adolescents. Furthermore, virtual self-perception, self-perception and depressive symptomatology were explicative from videogame addictive process. ConclusionsThese results lead us to question the video games addictive process as a functional restoration of identity, in order to reduce a major source of distress in adolescent. We consider it as the object of a “re-construction of self” in order to raise its self-perception and to reduce its suffering. In against part, a gap is created with the everyday environment, thus reinforcing the depressive symptomatology and addictive behavior. This addictive behavior would be a double process, both cause and consequence of the suffering of the subject, and wherein the failure of the self-image is a central axis. Nonetheless, questions arise concerning the relationship between the player and his avatar, but also on the impact of different formats of video games on this process.