A Phenomenological Study on the Stigma Experience of Internet Gambling Addicted Adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the 'stigma' experienced by adolescents addicted to Internet gambling. For this purpose, 12 middle and high school students who had been online gambling for at least one year were selected as the study participants. To obtain oral data of the selected research participants, the researcher conducted a 1:1 in-depth interview, and the collected data were analyzed according to the procedure of the phenomenological research method suggested by Giorgi (1970; 1985). As a result of the analysis, a total of 5 themes and 12 common semantic units could be extracted. The study participants were found to have experienced 'discriminatory title', 'prejudice', 'reproach from peers', 'severance of relationship', and 'discriminatory treatment by teachers and friends'. Based on these research results, the researcher discussed the policy and practical implications of minimizing the stigma experience of adolescents addicted to the Internet.