Abstract：
The COVID pandemic has had a major impact on the mental health of the population, especially on female adolescents. Eating disorders and gender identity problems have increased markedly. Online activities have also grown enormously during this period occupying a large portion of adolescents\' time. We explore the use of social networking and online gaming by adolescent girls and boys. We discuss their possible influence on different levels of psychological distress in boys and girls in the face of the pandemic. We propose that online games, mainly used by young boys, might offer them some emotional protection through mechanisms related to the body and its experience, to the group dynamics of competition, collaboration, and hierarchy, to the possibility of expressing aggression, and to the construction of a clearer and more stable identity. An unprejudiced look at new technologies is mandatory, if we are to avoid projecting our fears and expectations onto them.
摘要：
COVID大流行对人口的心理健康产生了重大影响，尤其是女性青少年。饮食失调和性别认同问题明显增加。在此期间，在线活动也大幅增长，占据了青少年的大部分时间。我们探索青春期男孩和女孩对社交网络和在线游戏的使用。我们讨论了面对大流行时，它们对男孩和女孩不同程度的心理困扰的可能影响。我们建议网络游戏，主要由年轻男孩使用，可能会通过与身体及其经验相关的机制为他们提供一些情感保护，竞争的群体动态，合作,和等级制度，表达侵略的可能性，以及构建更清晰、更稳定的身份。不带偏见地看待新技术是强制性的，如果我们要避免将我们的恐惧和期望投射到他们身上。
