COMPUTER GAMES, SELF-ESTEEM AND GRATIFICATION OF NEEDS IN ADOLESCENTS

Playing computer games has become an increasingly popular leisure time activity amongst adolescents, but concerns have been expressed over p ossible associated consequences. One research area has investigated re asons for playing, and two prior explanations relate it to the functio nal concepts of 'electronic friendship' and 'self-esteem'. A questionn aire study was conducted among 120 adolescents to obtain information o n a number of measures including gratification of needs and self-estee m. Results showed that playing computer games is equally popular with males and females, but males spend more time on it. Positive correlati ons between playing and items on the needs scales were obtained. In pa rticular males who were heavy players scored highly on the 'preference to friends' need, but interestingly they were also likely to see thei r friends more often outside school, thus providing no support for the theory that computer games are taking the place of normal social inte raction. For females there was evidence of a negative relationship bet ween self-esteem and need gratification through playing computer games . However more adolescents spend much more time watching television th an playing computer games. These results are discussed in the context of previous research.