Abstract

The fact that the computer games that began to emerge in the 1960s caused addiction has been revealed by different studies carried out. Computer games, which gained more popularity since the 1990s, also began to have a role in the construction of reality along with the development of technology. The developing technology and technological tools have caused computer games to cease to be only based on computer by converting them into digital games and also make them available on many technological tools, including mobile, VR glasses, simulations, consoles, etc. The development of technology not only changes computer games but also the of reality. The concepts such as constructed reality have been revealed along with the development of digital games and technological tools. The virtual world that emerged with digital games allows users to experience other world experiences without breaking away from the real world. While users, who have these experiences through digital games, extend their communications and ties on the virtual world, they may also get away from the concrete concepts brought by the real world. Communication takes place in a mediated manner, not face-to-face in these virtual environments. These digital games to which especially the young are addicted can make them asocial by breaking them away from the sociality of real life and get them away from reality by allowing them to establish virtual social worlds. In this study, the addiction caused by digital games and virtual reality will be discussed based on Baudrillard's theory of simulation and simulacras. In the study, it will be focused on how digital games have changed along with technology within the history, and the concept of game addiction and its effects will be examined.