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Esports versus gaming addiction: Juxtaposition of perspectives from counselling professionals and from the esports sectors
Author(s)
Date Issued
2023
Citation
Fu, W. (2023 Aug 4). Esports versus gaming addiction: Juxtaposition of perspectives from counselling professionals and from the esports sectors. Thailand International Congress of Psychology 2023, Thailand.
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
Background: Since the introduction of Gaming Addiction to ICD-11 by WHO, there is a heated debate
over the position from counseling psychology to regard esports (and egaming) as a potential threat to
mental health for adolescents, or a new opportunity in career counseling. Therefore, this study aims at
finding potential protective factors based on experiences from Counselling Professionals and esports
players’ own perspectives. Research Questions: 1. how existing theories differs from lived experiences
from those who play egames, 2. How motivations of esports players different from ordinary egaming
addiction victims.
Methodology: Eight representatives from four various counseling associations in Hong Kong, as well as
22 esports players, were invited to participate individual interviews concerning their observation over
the differences between gaming addiction and motivation for esports. Data were analyzed with thematic
analysis method (Braun & Clarke, 2006), which includes six steps including familization of data,
generating initial codes, search for themes, involved reviewing of themes, defining and naming themes,
and interpretation and reporting.
Results: The following themes are founded: 1) scope of games for esports is much more stringent than
psychologists / counselor perceived, 2) different from perspectives from counseling professionals,
esports players does not value “buy weapons” and values systematic training in skills and problem
solving strategies, which is very different from descriptions of gaming addiction, 3) while those who
were involved in gaming addiction would spend money on buying virtual weapons, esports players would
spend on training and equipment to enhance performance.
Discussion: discrepancies among perspectives is an major obstacle to service delivery among
counseling psychologists, and this could be improved by enhanced understanding to the lived
experience of esports players. (Project funded by Hong Kong Research Grants Council Institutional
Development Scheme Collaborative Research Grant Project Number UGC/IDS(C)15/M01/20).
Availability at HKSYU Library
