Masters Thesis

Rainbow of desire: a bridge from the virtual to the real world

The benefits and pitfalls of video gaming and online gaming-specifically MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games), have generated multiple academic studies over the last two decades, many of which suggest that a growing percentage of the population is becoming addicted to gaming. Even though excessive and problematic online gaming has not been officially classified as an addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), there are those in the mental health field that view this behavior as a significant health risk (Barry 2002, Billieux, et al 2013, Griffiths 2005/2008, Han, et al 2010, Ming & Peng 2009, Sim, et al 2012, Stetina, et al 2011, Wiemer-Hastings 2005, Wood 2004, Young 2007/2009). Consequently, there are numerous video game addiction treatment and recovery centers around the world that provide behavioral therapy and a mental health approach to this disorder. One alternative therapeutic component that has not been widely utilized thus far - at least not found to be widely utilized as of this writing - is the use of theatre games, exercises, and theatrical techniques as a supplementary component to current online gaming addiction recovery programs. With the intention of providing a viable supplementary component, this thesis will explore the oppressive aspects of excessive and problematic online gaming and utilize the theory and praxis of Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed-specifically the Rainbow of Desire techniques-as a theoretical framework to illustrate the feasibility of applying Boal's techniques to oppressive online gaming scenarios. Ideally, this will provide the foundation for future fieldwork.

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