Digital games and self-formation: The effects of players' virtual identities on their real-life self-presentation

ABSTRACT Beyzanur YURTTUTAN Digital games allow individuals to construct identities independently from the real world and develop new self-representations in fictional contexts. Especially online multiplayer games enable players to define themselves through avatars and experience these identities in social interaction processes. Digital environments stand out as spaces where individuals create alternative self-representations and strengthen their social ties. In this study, the effect of digital games on individuals' self-presentation is discussed in a theoretical framework. The concepts of digital games and self are evaluated in the context of different disciplines and the theoretical approaches that contribute to the literature are taken as basis. In line with Erving Goffman's theory of self, Heinz Kohut's theory of self-psychology and James F. Masterson's theories of real and false self, the effect of individuals' digital game playing behaviours on self-perception was examined. The study was conducted within the scope of netnography and content analysis by collecting data through semi-structured interview method. MAXQDA software was used for data analysis. The results of the research show that especially digital game genres have effects on individual self-perception, and that there is an interaction between the roles and identities of the players in the game and the self-perception they have in real life. It reveals that digital games can function not only as an entertainment tool but also as an important tool in empathy development and identity construction processes. This research contributes to the literature on psychological and social analyses of games by offering a new perspective on the effects of digital games on social and individual dimensions. In this context, the role of digital games in individuals' identity construction and social interaction processes is considered as an important issue that needs to be addressed with more comprehensive research. Keywords: Digital Game, Game and Self, Avatar, Identity Construction, Digital Game and Self Presentation