TY  - EJOU
AU  - Zhang, Zizhong 
AU  - Luo, Chen 

TI  - Hidden sufferings under entertainment: Gamebullying victimization and depression among Chinese multiplayer-online-battle-arena (MOBA) gamers
T2  - Journal of Psychology in Africa

PY  - 2025
VL  - 35
IS  - 1
SN  - 1815-5626

AB  - Online gaming has become a daily norm, leading to unique forms of game-bullying distinct from traditional cyberbullying due to its immersive nature and ranking systems. This study examined how game-bullying victimization (GBV) affects depression via self-esteem, moderated by resilience and the state of flow, among 359 Chinese MOBA (Multiplayer-online-battle-arena) gamers (30.7% female, mean age = 23.8 years, SD = 4.57 years). The analysis revealed a direct link between GBV and depression. Self-esteem mediates this relationship, with higher GBV associated with lower self-esteem and subsequently greater depression. Resilience moderates both direct and indirect effects, mitigating GBV’s impact on self-esteem and depression in those with higher resilience. However, the state of flow did not moderate the mediation process. These results underscore that game-bullying affects more than just gaming addicts, highlighting the crucial roles of self-esteem and resilience. The findings suggest expanding the SOR model to account for personality traits susceptible to GBV, an emerging psychological harm.
KW  - game-bullying victimization; depression; self-esteem; resilience; video game

DO  - 10.32604/jpa.2025.066008