Evidence on Problematic Online Gaming and Social Anxiety over the Past Ten Years: a Systematic Literature Review

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe present study aimed to review the literature concerning the relationship between problematic online gaming (POG) and social anxiety, taking into account the variables implicated in this relationship. This review included studies published between 2010 and 2020 that were indexed in major databases with the following keywords: Internet gaming, disorder, addiction, problematic, social phobia, and social anxiety.Recent FindingsIn recent years, scientific interest in POG has grown dramatically. Within this prolific research field, difficulties associated with social anxiety have been increasingly explored in relation to POG. Indeed, evidence showed that individuals who experience social anxiety are more exposed to the risk of developing an excessive or addictive gaming behavior.SummaryA total of 30 studies satisfied the initial inclusion criteria and were included in the present literature review. Several reviewed studies found a strong association between social anxiety and online gaming disorder. Furthermore, the relationships among social anxiety, POG, age, and psychosocial and comorbid factors were largely explored. Overall, the present review showed that socially anxious individuals might perceive online video games as safer social environments than face-to-face interactions, predisposing individuals to the POG. However, in a mutually reinforcing relationship, individuals with higher POG seem to show higher social anxiety. Therefore, despite online gaming might represent an activity able to alleviate psychopathological symptoms and/or negative emotional states, people might use online gaming to counterbalance distress or negative situations in everyday life, carrying out a maladaptive coping strategy

Vulnerable narcissism and body image centrality in cosplay practice: A sequential mediation model

In recent years, the cosplay practice has become a ubiquitous activity, representing a pivotal way to get in touch with the so-called geek culture and its media content (such as videogames, comics, manga). Cosplaying appeared related to narcissistic fragility which in turn is strictly linked to social appearance anxiety and self-objectification experiences. However, despite the body image centrality in cosplay practice, no studies evaluated cosplayers’ narcissistic vulnerability in association with these body imagerelated issues. A total of 926 young adults (73.2% female; 47.3% cosplayer; mean age=25.3 years) participated in the study. Results confirmed the direct and indirect effect of narcissistic vulnerability on social appearance anxiety (via body surveillance and body shame) among both cosplayers and noncosplayers. Overall, narcissistically vulnerable individuals, regardless of their involvement in cosplay practice, seem to experience higher body surveillance and body shame, which in turn might promote social appearance anxiety

Corrigendum: Is Watching TV Series an Adaptive Coping Strategy During the COVID-19 Pandemic? Insights From an Italian Community Sample

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.599859.]

Osservando ad occhio nudo la relazione primaria. Un intervento di sostegno alle competenze genitoriali ed educative

El artículo presenta una aplicación de la observación directa de la tradición psicoanalítica al contexto del nido y muestra cómo, en la totalidad del proceso observacional, se puede contribuir a la comprensión y construcción de significados. De esta manera, de hecho, si por un lado se proporciona una posible clave para comprender los fenómenos observados, por otro lado, favorece la construcción de métodos de intervención que, manteniendo juntos el apoyo al desarrollo infantil, las relaciones primarias y educativas, apuntan no al adoctrinamiento, sino al surgimiento y apoyo de las habilidades de educadores y padres en la difícil tarea de "cuidar" a los niños. Se tienen así en cuenta las funciones de contención y significación, que, atribuibles a la rêverie materna, también están contenidas en el trabajo de observación y representan un vértice desde el cual mirar la relación con los niños muy pequeños, lo que pone de manifiesto sobre todo estas funciones de cuidado. Finalmente, la presentación del material clínico y observacional ilustra la contribución ofrecida por una mirada que contiene y traduce la experiencia actuada dándole forma, como apoyo a la relación primaria y al trabajo de los educadores de guardería, con los niños y sus madres.This paper presents an application of direct psychoanalytic observation at the nursery and aims at showing how the whole observation process contributes to the comprehension and the construction of meanings. In fact, this situation produces a possible reading key for what has been observed and creates opportunities to intervene on child development, on both primary and educative relations. In this case the objective is not to teach to mothers and educators how to be parents or educators but to make their competences come out by supporting them in the difficult task of taking care of children. The observation condition is considered in comparison with maternal rêverie and mother’s functions, like holding and giving sense, and it is suggested as an apex to look at the relations with infants, which brings out these maternal functions. In conclusion, the presentation of clinical and observation materials aims at showing how an eye, able to contain and translate the acted experience by giving a meaning to it, can support primary relation and educators’ work in nurseries, with children and mothers.Il contributo presenta un’applicazione dell’osservazione diretta di tradizione psicoanalitica al contesto del nido e mostra come, nella totalità del processo osservativo, si possa contribuire alla comprensione e alla costruzione di significati. In questo modo, infatti, se da un lato si fornisce una possibile chiave di lettura dei fenomeni osservati, dall’altro si favorisce la costruzione di modalità di intervento che, tenendo insieme il sostegno allo sviluppo infantile, alla relazione primaria e a quella educativa, mirano non all’indottrinamento, quanto all’emersione e al sostegno delle competenze di educatori e genitori nel difficile compito di “accudimento” dei bambini. Vengono così prese in considerazione le funzioni di contenimento e significazione che, attribuibili alla rêverie materna, si racchiudono anche nel lavoro d’osservazione e rappresentano un vertice da cui guardare alla relazione con bambini molto piccoli, che veicola soprattutto queste funzioni dell’accudimento. Infine, la presentazione di materiale clinico ed osservativo illustra il contributo offerto da uno sguardo che contiene e traduce l’esperienza agita dandovi forma, come sostegno alla relazione primaria e al lavoro degli educatori al nido, con i bambini e le loro madri.peerReviewe