Virtual World: Creators, Residents, and Tourists

The book acquaints the reader with the computer virtual world, which has become a part of the contemporary entertainment industry, an environment for professional activity and a means of people’s communication. You will find the results of computer addiction studies conducted by the authors in recent years, and you will also be able to pass the dependence test. The book is intended for a wide audience interested in interaction in the virtual world

Analysis of the Sleep Disorders in Students Under the Effect of Computer Games and Video Films

Introduction and wide use of information technologies in all spheres of human life including for the purpose of entertainment has led to the emergence and spread of various types of Internet addiction. Numerous studies have established the effect of the nature of activity in the virtual world on the state of the human mental condition. In our research was conducted analysis of the sleep disorders in technical university students, who use computer games and video films for recreation and entertainment. We have researched in the sleep disorder mechanisms in technical university students, who use computer games and video films for recreation and entertainment. The authors of the article K. N. Meziyanaya, K. D. Yashin, K. M. Karaneuski developed the questionnaire "Method of Screening Diagnostics of Computer Addiction and its Influence on Physical and Mental Health" to study of formation of sleep disorders [1]. Interviews with 142 2nd to 5th year students studying in one of the technical universities of Minsk city were conducted in order to study the formation of sleep disorders under the influence of the computer media environment: males – 119 (84.4%), females – 23 (16.2%). The average age of respondents was 19.7 (±1.5) years. The average duration of the virtual world use was 9 (±2) years. It is established that 101 students (71.1% of the number of respondents) are forced to wake up from fear and anxiety. The statistical relationship is shown between the symptom of sleep disturbance: they say in a dream "I just dream it" and the symptom: duration of stay in the virtual world 40 or more hours per week. χ2 criterion = 5.63; p = 0.05. The relationship between combining computer games with watching movies and waking up from fear and anxiety is found, χ2 criterion = 4.38, p = 0.05. The findings suggest that the continued use of computer games in combination with viewing video films contributes to the development of malfunction of the organization and maintenance of sleep. The results testify to the correlation between a sleep disorder and a prolonged stay in the virtual world, which can contribute to predicting the formation of anxiety disorders.

Basic principles and analysis of high-level techniques for designing computer programs for virtual world

At the beginning of 2020, the world-famous Cambridge Scholars Publishing (Great Britain) published for the first time a scientific monograph called "Virtual World: Creators, Residents, and Tourists". The book contains the results of scientific research that was conducted for four years. The research was carried out at the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (Minsk, Belarus). Employees of the Department of Human Engineering and Ergonomics, as well as employees of the research group "Systems and devices for environmental monitoring in the management of human life safety" took part in the research. Part of the research material was not included in the book. In this paper, we present another part of the research that was prepared a little later. It was not published in the book. This part deals with the issues of seriality and simulacra. In our opinion, seriality and simulacrum are currently the basic principles for designing computer entertainment programs in the virtual space

Diagnostic questionnaire for determination of the signs of computer addiction and its impact on health

Computer addiction is referred to a kind of social epidemic. Expansion of influence of the media environment on various human activities poses the need for development of new diagnostic methods of behavioral disorders in this kind of dependence. The study of commercial products created for the purpose of entertainment with the use of information and communication technology (ICT) has acquired a particular importance. This article presents a questionnaire developed for the diagnosis of a computer addiction, which consists of two parts: the first helps to reveal the degree of such dependence, while the second identifies the disorders in the emotional sphere and mental health. The development of the questionnaire during three years has been based on the results of our own research and other studies published in peer-reviewed journals. 720 students of technical specialties from two universities of Minsk have been interviewed within this period using a continuous method, which testifies to the sufficient representativeness of sampling

Influence of computer games on the sleep quality and the nature of dreams in students

This study explored the use of different forms of the virtual world among students and the study of its influence on unconscious processes in students. The test group was comprised of 141 participants who were second to fifth year students at a technical university of Minsk city. We found that 38.3% of the participants spent more than 40 hours per work in the virtual world and 26.2% spent 25–39 hours per week. Moreover, 90.8% of the students engaged in computer games and game plots were present in the dreams of 16.3% of students. Nightmares and incubi were the cause of being awoken in 71.6% of students. Moreover, 14.9% of respondents expressed changes in depth psychology. Computer games are especially popular in the students’ environment, and their substantial impact on the gamers’ sleep quality and the nature of dreams was observed

Diagnosis gaming computer addiction

The article deals with the prevalence of use of the computer addiction among students and its influence on their physiological and psychological state.The study was conducted by polling the students studying information technologies in a technical university of the city of Minsk using the questionnaire developed by us. All in all 232 students were questioned. It was established that in 38.4 % the duration of their visits to the virtual world makes 40 and more hours per week; the rest 61.6 % spend there from 1 to 39 hours a week. 90.2 % is engaged in computer games. The preference analysis in the choice of the goal of the gamer’s character actions in a computer game was conducted. The aspiration to destruction has been revealed in 38.6 %. The anonymous screening study conducted allows us to make the conclusion on a wide use of computer games in the students’ environment and its substantial impact on the gamers’ state of health

Diagnosis gaming computer addiction

The article deals with the prevalence of use of the computer addiction among students and its influence on their physiological and psychological state.The study was conducted by polling the students studying information technologies in a technical university of the city of Minsk using the questionnaire developed by us. All in all 232 students were questioned. It was established that in 38.4 % the duration of their visits to the virtual world makes 40 and more hours per week; the rest 61.6 % spend there from 1 to 39 hours a week. 90.2 % is engaged in computer games. The preference analysis in the choice of the goal of the gamer’s character actions in a computer game was conducted. The aspiration to destruction has been revealed in 38.6 %. The anonymous screening study conducted allows us to make the conclusion on a wide use of computer games in the students’ environment and its substantial impact on the gamers’ state of health

Nervous crisis in gamers under the influence of computer media

It was established that 36.2% of respondents used to spend 40 or more hours a week in the virtual world. The majority of the respondents, 90.8%, is fond of computer games and devote to it about 55% of the time on average (100% is the total time spent at the computer). 78 students (54.9%) wake up due to fear and anxiety. The analysis showed that the number of people to wake up due to fear and anxiety among the users who combine computer games with watch- ing movies is credibly higher: the criterion χ2 = 5.83. The article presents the dream description of one of the respondents

The effect of computer games on the development of anxiety disorders in students

Introduction of information and computer technologies in the sphere of entertainment has resulted in negative influence on the health of users. The problem of the impact of virtual space on a person is being studied in many countries. This article presents the results of studying the problem of computer addic-tion and its effects on sleep dis-orders and development of anx-iety disorders in the computer media users. The study involved 65 students, among them males 44 (67.7%), studying technical specialties in one of the univer-sities in Minsk city. The analysis of computer addiction was carried out by means of the questionnaire developed by Mezianaya K. N., Karaneuski K. M., and Yashin, K. D., titled "Method of Screening Diagnos-tics of Computer Addiction and Its Health Effects" [The Official Journal of the Republic of Bela-rus, 2015]

Anxiety Disorders in Students Under the Influence of Computer Media

The influence of the virtual world forms on sleep and emotions of users has been studied. The test group was comprised of 142 students studying information technology in one of the technical universities in Minsk. The structure of the virtual world forms used by the students and their combined effect on the sleep disturbances and formation of anxiety disorders has been analyses. It was established that 36,2% of respondents used to spend 40 or more hours a week in the virtual world. The majority of the respondents, 90,8%, is fond of computer games and devote to it about 55% of the time on average (100% is the total time spent at the computer). 78 students (54,9%) wake up due to fear and anxiety. The analysis showed that the number of people to wake up due to fear and anxiety among the users who combine computer games with watching movies is credibly higher: the criterion χ2 = 5,83