GG! Can online games offer me a buff? Individual factors and online game choices
Online games; personality; motivations; cyberbullying; problematic use
Online games have been showing a significant increase in use nowadays, attracting the most different ages and profiles of players due to the infinite possibilities offered by the virtual environment, making it possible not only to carry out common day-to-day activities, but also surreal experiences. In the literature, several benefits provided by games are discussed, such as the formation of new social bonds and the strengthening of existing bonds, in addition to the improvement of cognitive skills, among others. On the other hand, negative effects are also recurrent, making it necessary to understand how both affect players. With that in mind, this work carried out a theoretical review of human evolution in terms of behavior in games and our biological needs, and analyzed the personality and motivations to play of 405 players of different types of games and what would be associated with problematic use about the game. Our results reinforced what the literature already has on the subject, showing some personality traits and specific motivations as precursors to the emergence of negative behaviors from games. Some limitations of the work are discussed, as well as the need for studies with players from different cultures, as well as a better delimitation of game styles and their respective characteristics.