Abstract
Internet addiction is a relatively new phenomenon that has gained a lot of media attention in recent years. In particular internet gaming addiction has been covered by many news outlets. It is not uncommon to see headlines of “electronic heroin” or the notorious “internet addiction boot-camps” in newspapers. In news media overall, the Greater China region has received considerably more focus than other regions. Especially after China became the first country to officially recognize internet addiction as a full, clinical disorder. Further, internet gaming addiction has also become an increasingly popular topic for research, particularly in among Chinese academics. As reflected by the general academic research on internet gaming addiction, most of the research is conducted by Chinese researchers, and/or on a Chinese population. Regardless, the research reflects two prominent approaches to understanding the internet gaming addiction phenomenon. One is the pathological perspective, understanding the phenomenon as a clinical disorder comparable to that of gambling addiction or other non-substance addiction disorders. The other is the societal perspective, interpreting internet gaming addiction as a social problem rooted in the individual’s internal conflicts, family issues, school environment and more. However, there are very few studies on the correlation between the internet gaming addiction phenomenon and how it is portrayed in the news media. It has been confirmed by several journalistic studies that news media not only influences but is also able to shape the public’s opinion on health-related matters. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore how Chinese newspapers are portraying the internet gaming addiction phenomenon. The analysis was carried out through a content analysis of newspaper articles from Chinese newspapers dating from 2003 to 2022. The study focused mainly on content but was also supported by concepts from media framing theory. The analysis showed that Chinese newspapers tend to portray the internet gaming addiction as a new, clinical addiction disorder. It was also discovered that the ideal form of prevention and treatment has its roots in the family. However, possible motives for pushing forward this perspective is not determined.