Video games are often viewed as resources for coping, emotional regulation, and resilience during adversity. However, little is known about gamers' experiences when both everyday life and gaming-related resources are disrupted. This interpretive phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 15 Iranian gamers during the Iran–Israel missile attacks through semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using Diekelmann et al.‘s hermeneutic phenomenological method, with Conservation of Resources (COR) theory as an interpretive framework. Four themes emerged: collapse of the gaming lifeworld, digital solidarity and relational reconnection, reclaiming agency through gamer identity, and reconstructing everyday life and future horizons. The findings indicate that the coping value of gameplay was uneven rather than uniformly absent, while the social and symbolic dimensions of gaming continued to provide connection and support for several participants. These findings add nuance to existing research by suggesting that the significance of gaming during severe crises may extend beyond gameplay itself to the relationships, identities, and communities that form around it.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used for psychological support, yet the psychological and relational conditions associated with this use are poorly understood. Internalized shame is a documented barrier to human-delivered mental health care, but its association with AI use, which involves no human interlocutor, has not been examined. This cross-sectional study tested whether internalized shame accounts for the association between perceived social support from family, friends, and significant others and self-reported AI use for psychological support among Korean college students. A sample of 512 students completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Internalized Shame Scale, and a single item on the frequency of AI use for psychological counseling purposes in the past six months. A second-order structural equation model was estimated with weighted least squares with mean and variance adjustment, treating all indicators as ordinal and adjusting for gender, age, academic year, and subjective socioeconomic status. Lower perceived social support was associated with more frequent AI use (total β = −.14). This association was statistically accounted for by internalized shame (indirect β = −.11, 95% CI [−.17, −.06]), and the conditional direct association was near zero. In contrast to the deterrent association documented for human-delivered care, internalized shame was positively associated with AI use. The findings highlight internalized shame as a correlate of AI use for psychological support and a focus for research on how psychological barriers to help-seeking differ across support channels.
Purpose Smartphone dependence is increasing due to the growing necessity of these devices across various fields, often without awareness of associated factors. This study aimed to identify factors linked to smartphone dependency among healthcare students at a university in Cali. Methods This observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study involved 334 students and was analyzed with a 95% confidence interval (CI) with a 5.14% margin of error. Participants were compared by sex, age, marital status, academic semester, and study program (95% CI = 0.157–0.740). Data were analyzed using Epi Info™ (v7.2.5), including dependence tests and a risk factor questionnaire, with a Cronbach's alpha > 0.8 confirming psychometric reliability. Results Among eight health-related programs, smartphone dependence was multifactorial. Overall, 79% of students (n = 264), aged 18 to 23 years, exhibited dependence (CI = 21.42–22.21). Dependence was significantly associated with: (i) study program, (ii) socioeconomic status, (iii) perceived discrimination from not having a smartphone, and (iv) conflicts arising from prolonged use. Physical strain factors such as posture, lying supine, and sitting on the floor during smartphone use also differed with the dependence level (p ≤ 0.04). Conclusions Smartphone dependence among healthcare students exhibits a multifactorial pattern influenced by academic programs and interpersonal factors. Further research is recommended to compare these findings across different professional programs, regions, and cultural contexts.
