Computer games, self‐esteem and gratification of needs in adolescents

TLDR

Playing computer games is an increasingly popular leisure activity among adolescents, raising concerns about its consequences, and research has linked it to electronic friendship and self‑esteem, although most adolescents still spend more time watching television. The study surveyed 120 adolescents with a questionnaire measuring need gratification and self‑esteem. The survey found that computer gaming is equally popular among males and females, with males playing more, and revealed positive correlations between gaming and need‑gratification scales; heavy‑playing males scored high on the ‘preference to friends’ need yet still met friends outside school, undermining the idea that games replace social interaction, while for females a negative link emerged between self‑esteem and need gratification through gaming, findings contextualized by prior research.

Abstract

Abstract Playing computer games has become an increasingly popular leisure time activity amongst adolescents, but concerns have been expressed over possible associated consequences. One research area has investigated reasons for playing, and two prior explanations relate it to the functional concepts of ‘electronic friendship’ and ‘self‐esteem’. A questionnaire study was conducted among 120 adolescents to obtain information on a number of measures including gratification of needs and self‐esteem. Results showed that playing computer games is equally popular with males and females, but males spend more time on it. Positive correlations between playing and items on the needs scales were obtained. In particular males who were heavy players scored highly on the ‘preference to friends’ need, but interestingly they were also likely to see their friends more often outside school, thus providing no support for the theory that computer games are taking the place of normal social interaction. For females there was evidence of a negative relationship between self‐esteem and need gratification through playing computer games. However more adolescents spend much more time watching television than playing computer games. These results are discussed in the context of previous research.