THE PROBLEMATIC USE OF VIDEO GAMES: A STUDY WITH ADOLESCENTS FROM DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS

Abstract

The popularization of electronic games and their excessive use has caused an invisible epidemic, especially among young people. The objective is to analyze problematic use of electronic games among teenagers. The sample has 66 (sixty-six) participants, including adolescents from public and private schools and their parents, who responded to a closed questionnaire about their sociodemographic context and use of electronic games. Data analysis was quantitative, based on the criteria described in DSM-5, and the responses transferred in numerical representation to the present work. The result pointed to the problematic use of 6 (six) teenagers, demonstrating that it does not depend on gender, age, social class, frequency of use and technological equipment for its characterization.

Keywords: Adolescent; students, dependency; electronic games; DSM-5.