Problematic Video Gaming and Problematic Internet Use Among Polish Young Adults.

Abstract

Technological advancements, on the one hand, facilitate everyday activities and, on the other hand, may lead to problematic behavior. These include problematic video gaming (PVG) and problematic Internet use. The purpose of this article is to present the specificity of these behavioral addictions in a group of Polish young adults and to determine their predictors and interrelatedness. The study involved a group of 1,493 young adults, aged from 18 to 30. The intensity of problematic Internet use was measured with the Problematic Internet Use Test (the Polish version of Internet Addiction Test developed by Kimberly Young), and intensity of PVG was measured with the Problem Video Game Playing Questionnaire. Based on the results, it can be shown that in the group of Polish young adults participating in the study, 0.3 percent of the individuals present very high problematic Internet use. On the contrary, 3.6 percent of the gamers show signs of PVG. Furthermore, analysis of structural equations showed that only the model assuming a correlation between the two types of behavioral addiction correctly fits the data set. Based on the developed model, it was established that the duration of social network usage is probably a predictor of problematic Internet use, while predictors of PVG include the amount of time dedicated to playing video games as well as engagement in action games. The present findings enable better understanding of the relationship between PVG and problematic Internet use among young adults. They also support other studies which suggest that, despite similarities between them, various types of behavioral addictions may be predicted by different factors.