PeerRev_Exploration of the Profile and Intention in Restricting Online Game in Teenagers with Gaming Disorder: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND: Gaming disorder is a kind of mental disorder that applies to people who spend most of their spare time playing games and people are addicted to playing online games. This condition is more common in adolescents and eventually could harm their health. Thus, the researchers are interested in studying teenagers’ profiles and intentions to identify their efforts and obstacles in restricting the time spend playing online games. AIM: This study aimed to explore the profile and addiction scales of teenagers with online gaming disorder and to identify their intentions, plans, and obstacles in reducing their addictions. METHODS: The study employed qualitative research with a phenomenological approach. The research included six online gamer participants. The researchers selected the participants using a purposive sampling technique. According to the scale of gamine addition, the participants were game-addicted teenagers. The researchers collected the data with a guided interview and an observation list. They analyzed the data using phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: The scale of addiction data showed that all informants were in a high category of addiction. This scale of addiction was in line with their profiles, which explained that they played games at least 5 h a day because they perceived playing games as an urgent activity to relieve stress or as entertainment. When they played online games, they held back hunger and skipped their meals even though they were hungry, and they also often held back urinating. Moreover, their active gaming at night caused them to sleep in the daytime. In addition, the data showed that four of the informants stated that they had some intentions and plans to reduce or quit playing, but they did not have specific plans. They had not followed up on their readiness and had not known when to act. Some obstacles also prevented them from forming intentions to reduce or stop playing online games. CONCLUSION: The profiles of the teenagers with gaming disorders showed a high level of addiction. They played online games as stress-relieving entertainment. When playing, they often tolerated hunger and thirst, refrained from urinating, and did not sleep at night. There were some teenagers with gaming disorders who had no intention of reducing or stopping their playing. Meanwhile, others were willing to reduce or quit playing, but they did not have any alternative activities and did not know when they would stop playing online games. Friends’ invitations to play games, the fun of playing games, problems of self-control/habits, the temptation of watching other gamers playing, boredom, and the new trend of electronic game sports were the addictive teenagers’ obstacles for controlling their online gaming