Neural Correlates of Resistance to Gaming Desire Induced by Social Media Content

The rise of gaming-related content on social media has increased exposure to game-related stimuli, particularly among young people, which may reinforce gaming urges and create difficulties in controlling gaming behaviour. Therefore, understanding the management of gaming desire triggered by such content is critical. Identifying the neural mechanisms underlying resistance to these urges will be crucial for effective prevention and intervention. However, this issue has yet to be directly explored. The present study investigated the neural correlates of resisting gaming desire elicited by gaming-related social media videos using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Young habitual online gamers participated in an fMRI study in which they viewed video stimuli under three conditions: (1) gaming cue condition: passive viewing of gaming-related videos; (2) gaming cue resist condition: viewing of gaming-related videos while actively resisting gaming desire; and (3) neutral cue condition. Gaming cues elicited significantly greater activation than neutral cues in the diverse brain areas including bilateral medial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), superior temporal gyrus (STG) and precuneus. Compared to the gaming cue condition, the gaming cue resist condition elicited increased activation in the left PCC and bilateral precuneus. Conversely, significant deactivation was observed in the right STG. These findings offer insights into the neural basis of craving resistance in response to social media-based gaming cues and may guide the development of targeted interventions for problematic gaming behaviour.