All of the subjects exhibited addictive behavior
toward online games as determined by the researcher’s
subjective assessment and objective indices
(scores obtained from online game addiction
scales8). After acquiring consent from the subjects,
the semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted.
The subjects were interviewed individually,
with interviews ranging from 50 min to 2.5 h.
A trained researcher conducted each interview
individually. The interviews were used to supplement
our previous survey findings and to gather
first-hand, self-reported verbal data from these
subjects. We expected that the qualitative nature of
this study would provide more in-depth and rich
descriptions, such as the “how” and “why” of online
game addiction and heavy use.