Avatar – to sam ja: povezanost ovisnosti o internetskim igrama i pojma o sebi

Abstract

The effects of excessive Internet use have recently been a subject of intense research and Internet addiction is being recognized as a major health issue in the modern world. Pathological internet gaming is the first one to be mentioned as a potential mental disorder and an there is an endeavour to detect its neurobiological correlates, in order to better classify and understand its different aspects. These researches substantiate the idea of an addiction syndrome, possibly very similar to the one found in classic substance and behavioral addictions. In certain Internet games, players have the ability to configure their avatar, in accordance to their own preferences, with which they later engage in an anonymous and interactive virtual world. Psychometric findings indicate that many addicted players self-identify with the avatar, which compensates for their self-concept deficits. Studies which used neuroimaging methods support the idea, considering that higher activation of left angular gyrus, an area associated with self-identification and distinction of self from others, is constantly being found in addicted players during avatar-reflection. Self-concept seems to be an important predictor of the transition from normal to addictive Internet use, followed with concurrent structural and functional brain changes.