Abstract
We are living in an age in which technological developments are stunning. Each change facilitates the lives of humans and introduces innovation. Individuals can complete most of their work independently of time and space thanks to smart devices and internet access. Although these technological developments are built to facilitate our lives, spending too much of our time on these devices also has a dangerous aspect. Continuously spending time on social media via these smart devices, or having the opportunity to play downloaded games all the time, lays the foundation of new behavioural addictions of our age. This study investigates the digital game tendency of Generation Z individuals who were born with this technology and have a good command of this technology by in-depth interview method. The target number of participants for the in-depth interviews considering gender equality is 18 participants. This study aims both to measure the digital game addiction tendency of Generation Z individuals and to synthesise opinions regarding addiction.
TopTheory Of Generation And The Term Generation
The theory of generation is used to define the identities of the groups. In various study fields such as marketing, psychology, mass communication and management sciences, the classification of the term generation is associated with the fact that individuals were born in a certain year range. In other words, the theory of generational theory refers to the fact that individuals born in a given year range adopt similar behaviours, lifestyles, and social values because they were born at the same age (Chen, 2010, p. 132). While these individuals show similar behaviors and beliefs to that generation group due to certain behaviour and belief types, they show differences from different generation groups. It is possible to express that the generations will be formed according to the characteristics of the period they are in, and their behaviour will be affected, and these characteristics will differ from other generations. The historical development of the theory of generation expressed by Karl Mannheim, Strauss and Howe that emerged from different regions around the world will be explained below.
Sociologist Karl Mannheim was the first scientist to conduct comprehensive and systematic research in the field of management related to generations using social science research methods. In his “Problem of Generations” work, he described generations from a sociological perspective (Jeager, 1985, p. 278). This study was published in 1928, but it was not popularized until the 1950s when the text was translated into the English language. Mannheim’s work looked at historical groups that had clear and detectable distinctions rather than revealing the “sociology of ages”. (Pilcher, 1994, p. 483).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Digital Game: Digital games include the “interactivity, modularity, digitality, virtuality and changeability” features of the new communication environments and considered as a personal communication environment including all these features to the act of game playing.
Addiction: It is the state of being attached to any event, material, object or behaviour to exclude other activities of life or to physically, mentally or socially damage others.
Game: Game can be defined as an event with general rules and certain purpose yet enabling frivolous individuals of the society to contact with each other that is unreal with the feeling of real.
Generation: It consists of individuals who are born on the same years within the certain period.