Social, Behavioral, and Academic Ramifications of Video Game Playing in College

Abstract

The purpose of this research project is to determine whether video game usage influences the psychological well-being of college students. This project seeks to understand technology usage habits among students and whether this affects school performance. Previous research suggests video games may be used to treat psychological issues such as anxiety. Self-report studies note video games were helpful in certain populations in coping with stress, developing positive social behaviors, and improving cognitive abilities (Carras et al., 2018; Nuyens et al., 2019; Schuurmans et al., 2018;). Since psychological well-being is a crucial factor in academic performance (Carton & Goodboy, 2015; Punia & Malaviya, 2015), the current study will examine potential relationships between gaming and college GPAs. Poor habits related to technological usage may lead to negative mental health outcomes. A survey examining these factors was completed by college students at Texas Woman’s University. The survey was composed of questions from the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale, Psychological Wellbeing Scale, and Boundary Management Subscale. Data was tested using ANOVAs, a Tukey HSD test as a post hoc test, and Eta squared. The results of the data found gaming tendencies were not significantly associated with GPA but were associated with negative mental health outcomes and increased issues with technology boundary management. The study has marked limitations due to the lack of non-gaming survey participants and most respondents identifying as female. These findings may be useful for clinicians in treating addictive gaming tendencies. Future research should examine more diverse student populations.