Understanding the lives of professionals (Wang, DeMaria, Goldberg,

problem gamers: The & Katz, 2016). They have also been found
meaning, purpose, and to support student learning by
influences of video gaming
stimulating their engagement in field
Jing Shi, Rebecca Renwick, Nigel E. Turner,
Bonnie Kirsh, observations (Hwang & Chen, 2017),
Volume 97, 2019, Pages 291-303, ISSN 0747-5632,
improve visual-spatial cognition (Spence

The popularity of playing video games & Feng, 2010), arithmetic, memorization,

has grown immensely over the past leadership, and team functioning

decade. Approximately half of Americans (Thirunarayanan & Vilchez, 2012).

play video games on various electronic However, it is also known that problems

devices while 10% of those who play self- may arise when video game playing is

identify as being a gamer (someone who excessive. In Canada, a survey study

consistently plays video games and using the Problematic Videogame Playing

identifies with the gaming community) Scale (Tejeiro Salguero & Moran, 2002)

(Pew Research Centre, 2016). A growing found that 9.4% of adolescent gamers

body of research has found positive uses experience problematic gaming with 1.9%

for video games (Ferguson, 2010), being described as having severe

including reducing flashbacks problems (Faulkner, Irving, Adlaf, &

from posttraumatic stress Turner, 2014; Turner et al., 2012).

disorder (Holmes, James, Coode-Bate, & Although there is an ongoing debate

Deeprose, 2009), reducing chronic pain regarding the inclusion of gaming

(Jones, Moore, & Choo, 2016), and disorder in the ICD-11 (van Rooij et al.,

training of health care 2018), it is generally understood that

problem gaming is not necessarily gaming is often episodic in that it may

“addicted” gaming. appear and disappear quickly from one's

life (Rothmund, Klimmt, & Gollwitzer,

Problem gaming can be defined as a
2016).
persistent and recurrent involvement in

video gaming that results in psychological Gamers have been found to play for a

distress and functional impairment variety of reasons. In a qualitative

(American Psychiatric Association, study, Snodgrass et al. (2014) found

2013; Shapira et al., 2003). Recent problematic play was a response to life

longitudinal studies demonstrated stress where using video games

conflicting views of the stability of excessively was a diversion that lead to

problem video gaming. A 3-year problems. In a survey of non-problem

longitudinal study conducted among MMORPG gamers, Yee (2006) found

adolescents in Sweden found problem three overarching motivations—

gaming to be relatively stable over time achievement, immersion, and a social

(Vadlin, Aslund, & Nilsson, 2018). A 5- component. Other studies with a small

year longitudinal study among adults in percentage of problem gamers found

Canada had contradicting findings escapism/coping, mechanics, a social

from Vadlin et al. (2018) where it found component, experiencing fantasy, and

problem gaming be transient for most obtaining in-game wealth/achievements

gamers (Thege, Woodin, Hodgins, & were motivations to gaming (King, Herd,

Williams, 2015). Furthermore, a & Delfabbro, 2018; Kuss, Louws, & Wiers,

correlational panel study of German 2012; Laconi, Pires, & Chabrol, 2017).

adolescents also found that excessive Although several studies have examined
gaming motivations, few have Polatajko, 2013, pp. 71–80). Boredom is a

intentionally sampled only problem lack of engagement in meaningful activity

gamers to obtain first-hand accounts. and consequently a lack of function.

1.1. Gaming as “occupation” and impact Function is described as a feature of

on function gaming disorder in the ICD-11 and the

DSM-V (APA, 2013; World Health

Occupations are everyday activities that
Organization, 2017). The importance of
people engage in that bring meaning and
functional impairment has also been
purpose to life (World Federation of
highlighted in recent debates regarding
Occupational Therapists, 2016). Humans
the disorder (Billieux et al., 2017). Studies
are naturally occupational beings who
have demonstrated that functional
need to use time in a meaningful and
impairment is present in problem
purposeful way (Wilcock, 1993). These
gamers. Functional impairment was also
activities contribute to identity,
emphasized by gamers in a mixed-
motivation, and routines (Wasmuth,
methods study conducted at a video game
Crabtree, & Scott, 2014). The activity of
convention in the USA, in which gamers
gaming has been described by gamers as
agreed that functional impairment was
fun and meaningful activity (Rogers,
the top sign of problematic gaming
Woolley, Sherrick, Bowman, & Oliver,
(Colder Carras et al., 2018). Among the
2017). It is particularly important to have
functional issues reported were:
activities in life that offer choice and
neglecting their own needs/
control to prevent occupational
responsibilities and a loss of interest in
deprivation (or boredom) (Townsend &
previous hobbies/activities (Colder
Carras et al., 2018). Several other studies a pragmatism worldview that was used to

have identified productivity issues at guide this study. The social ecological

work and school (Cole & Griffiths, model provides a holistic conceptual

2007; Gentile, Lynch, Linder, & Walsh, framework that human behaviors,

2004; Hastings et al., 2009; Hellström, environmental conditions, and well-being

Nilsson, Leppert, & Slund, 2012). are inter-related (Stokols, 1996). Applied

Although the implications of functional to problem gaming, it proposes that the

impairment in activities relating to forces underlying the problem are not

gamers’ lives have some very practical solely based in the individual gamer but

repercussions and are directly related to also on the interrelationships between the

well-being, directly addressing gamer and his/her surroundings.

function through the examination of daily

Examining factors outside of the
activities has generally not been the focus
individual found reciprocal
of research studies.
relationships within family dynamics

1.2. Thematic anchors and study aims where poorer parental relationships were

associated with increase problem gaming

Qualitative research focuses on obtaining
and long-term problem gaming had
an in-depth understanding of a specific
negative effects on the family (Schneider,
set of experiences with in real-world
King, & Delfabbro, 2017). Furthermore,
contexts (Creswell, 2009; Mays & Pope,
a systematic review of longitudinal trends
2000). Hence, the social ecological model
with those who experienced Internet use
as a guiding model for this study
and problematic Internet use examined
demonstrates excellent compatibility with
issues occurring at the individual, peer,
family, and classroom levels (Anderson, examine first-hand accounts from

Steen, & Stavropoulos, 2017). This study problem gamers without bias from non-

found an interplay between these internal problem gamers. The aim of this study is

and contextual factors that moderate and to gain a more complex understanding of

individual's engagement in Internet use. the activities in the daily lives of problem

However, such studies group gaming with video gamers, particularly: 1) What

other Internet-related activities such as activities are important to them? 2) What

social media use and online motivates gaming? 3) What supports/

gambling. Snodgrass et al. (2014) used a constraints to engagement they

culturally-sensitive approach that found experience in other life activities?

that problem gaming is on a continuum

Reference
with positive play experiences.
Shi, J., Renwick, R., Turner, N. E., &

The social and environmental forces

Kirsh, B. (2019). Understanding
associated with problem video gaming
the lives of problem gamers: The
need to be considered in combination

with individual ones to reveal a more meaning, purpose, and influences

complex picture of problem video gaming

of video gaming. Computers in
that the current literature has not yet
Human Behavior, 97, 291-303.
captured. Currently, a full appreciation of

how problem gaming impacts the daily https://doi.org/10.1016/

lives of gamers is lacking. Moreover, j.chb.2019.03.023

there has been a lack of studies that focus

on functional activities and aim to