Game Addict or E-sports Athlete: A Study of Representation and Identity Negotiation in Thai Society

Abstract

         Although esports has been increasingly supported by both public and private sectors, esports athletes are still not widely accepted in Thai society as they struggle against the prevailing perception of “game addicts.” The analysis of news about game addicts and interviews with esports athletes reveals an effort to present the identities of esports athletes as a counter-narrative to negotiate with the representations of game addicts, which are often constructed and portrayed negatively. While game addicts are portrayed as individuals in need of correction or treatment, as abnormal, and as sources of distress for those around them, esports athletes attempt to redefine themselves as professional athletes, successful individuals, and people with aspirations who actively pursue their goals. They also emphasize their ability to manage their time effectively, contribute positively to those around them, and gain support from their peers and families. These representations and identities are shaped through various linguistic strategies, including lexical selection, presupposition, intertextuality, causal construction, inference, metaphor, conditional structure, and contrastive structure.