Virtual And Reality: The Self-Identity Of Teenagers In Online Games

Modern development brings self-recognition crises;however,online games provide a different path to self-identity for teens.Contrary to the blind criticism of online games,this study interacts with two important features of the online game:role-play and interact.With these two points,a virtual and realistic issue of adolescent self-identity is initiated.Through analysis of the typical online game--League of Legends and depth observations and interviews of young players,the role of a teenager in virtual online games and interacting with a virtual network will have multiple effects on the self-identity in real life.In virtual and realistic travel,teens self-reflection play a significant role for teens through online games affecting self-identity.The methodology of this study is qualitative research method,using the cyber ethnography to conduct depth observations.In order to get the primary data and information,the researcher became a regular game player and participated in online games.This study consists of five parts:The first part is an introduction of this study.It's mainly describes the origins,the presentation of this study 's question,the purpose and meaning of this study,the literature review,the definition of core concept,and study process and methodology.The second part describes the reasons that teenagers play online games to enter the internet game world.The third part analyzing the concept of "I want to be me",demonstrating the process of teenage game players how to construct themselves in the online game.By playing the role in the online games shows that teenagers exist in the virtual world and reality,which means teenagers have two sides:the one exists in the virtual world and the one in reality.It turns out that the one exists in the virtual world makes the one in reality more complete.There have other positive effects,such as,the one exist in the virtual world promotes the one in the realty.But at the same time,there also have some negative effect that a teenager player confused with the virtual and reality,lost himself in the online game eventually.The fourth part appears that teenagers get a real friendship in virtual online games by interacting with each other.It also illuminates that teenagers re-recognize themselves based on others evaluations.The opinion of others play a significance role in the teenagers' self-identity construction process.The fifth part is the conclusion and reflection of this article.We can draw a conclusion that in the online game,teenagers present the virtual images and interaction to construct virtual online gaming,it also expenses teenagers' interactions.