Background
Method
Design and procedures
Measures
Data analysis
Results
Population Characteristics | Males (n = 31) | Females (n = 41) | Total (n = 72) |
---|---|---|---|
Students who work | 26% (8) | 37% (15) | 32% (23) |
Parents married | 87% (27) | 90% (37) | 89% (64) |
Divorced, Separated, other | 13% (4) | 10% (4) | 11% (8) |
Detention in the last month | 19% (6) | 10% (4) | 14% (10) |
Physical fight in the last year | 3% (1) | 2% (1) | 3% (2) |
Drink alcohol weekly | 3% (1) | 7% (3) | 6% (4) |
Smoke daily | 0% (0) | 2% (1) | 1% (1) |
Diagnosed ADD/ADHD | 6% (2) | 0% (0) | 3% (2) |
Diagnosed Depression/Anxiety | 3% (1) | 7% (3) | 6% (4) |
INTERNET | TELEVISION | CONSOLE VIDEO GAMES | INTERNET VIDEO GAMES | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
< 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | < 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | < 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | < 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | ||
Body Mass Index
| Mean | 22.09 | 21.01 |
20.28
|
22.11
| 21.06 | 23.77 | 21.31 | 22.62 |
± 4.12 | ± 3.15 | ± 2.33 | ± 4.01 | ± 3.13 | ± 5.19 | ± 3.59 | ± 3.73 | ||
p-value | 0.23 |
0.017
| 0.12 | 0.35 |
INTERNET | TELEVISION | CONSOLE VIDEO GAMES | INTERNET VIDEO GAMES | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
< 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | < 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | < 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | < 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | ||
Young's Addiction Scale
| Mean | 12.80 | 14.50 |
9.70
|
16.00
|
10.10
|
34.30
|
10.20
|
38.60
|
± 11.00 | ± 16.40 | ± 14.60 | ± 13.80 | ± 10.70 | ± 14.80 | ± 10.40 | ± 13.40 | ||
p-value | 0.804 |
0.040
|
< 0.001
|
< 0.001
| |||||
Conner's Scale: Oppositional
| Mean | 1.77 | 2.66 | 2.36 | 2.23 | 2.33 | 2.00 | 2.33 | 1.89 |
± 2.36 | ± 2.73 | ± 2.08 | ± 2.85 | ± 2.69 | ± 2.05 | ± 2.72 | ± 1.45 | ||
p-value | 0.096 | 0.397 | 0.917 | 0.826 | |||||
Conner's Scale: Inattention
| Mean | 1.29 | 1.68 | 1.72 | 1.40 |
1.00
|
4.36
|
1.16
|
4.00
|
± 2.67 | ± 2.51 | ± 2.62 | ± 2.57 | ± 1.60 | ± 4.59 | ± 2.25 | ± 3.39 | ||
p-value | 0.289 | 0.311 |
0.001
|
< 0.001
| |||||
Conner's Scale: Hyperactivity
| Mean | 1.19 | 1.49 | 1.40 | 1.34 | 1.39 | 1.18 | 1.44 | 0.78 |
± 1.14 | ± 2.11 | ± 1.32 | ± 1.96 | ± 1.82 | ± 1.40 | ± 1.79 | ± 1.39 | ||
p-value | 0.901 | 0.397 | 0.800 | 0.142 | |||||
Conner's Scale: ADHD
| Mean | 3.32 | 4.88 | 4.64 | 3.98 |
3.59
|
7.64
|
3.78
|
7.22
|
± 3.75 | ± 5.13 | ± 4.66 | ± 4.64 | ± 3.89 | ± 6.79 | ± 4.26 | ± 6.12 | ||
p-value | 0.115 | 0.343 |
0.018
|
0.020
|
INTERNET | TELEVISION | CONSOLE VIDEO GAMES | INTERNET VIDEO GAMES | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
< 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | < 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | < 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | < 1 hour | ≥ 1 hour | ||
Last Grade in Math
| Mean | 3.422 | 3.308 | 3.306 | 3.383 | 3.393 | 3.132 | 3.37 | 3.259 |
± 0.689 | ± 0.748 | ± 0.687 | ± 0.744 | ± 0.706 | ± 0.805 | ± 0.705 | ± 0.863 | ||
p-value | 0.547 | 0.422 | 0.255 | 0.754 | |||||
Last Grade in English
| Mean | 3.263 | 3.201 | 3.217 | 3.232 | 3.254 | 3.067 | 3.267 | 2.963 |
± 0.721 | ± 0.662 | ± 0.608 | ± 0.723 | ± 0.659 | ± 0.829 | ± 0.638 | ± 0.934 | ||
p-value | 0.545 | 0.727 | 0.545 | 0.395 | |||||
Overall Grade Point Average
| Mean | 3.686 | 3.523 | 3.626 | 3.567 |
3.668
|
3.002
|
3.668
|
3.00
|
± 0.392 | ± 0.494 | ± 0.438 | ± 0.475 | ± 0.341 | ± 0.762 | ± 0.356 | ± 0.701 | ||
p-value | 0.190 | 0.735 |
0.019
|
0.009
|
Discussion
Conclusion
Appendix A
Age: | Height: | Weight: | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sex: (Circle one)
| Male | Female | ||||
Occupation:
| Year in School: | Type of work (if any): | ||||
Last grade in Math Class (as appears on last report card):
| A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F | |||||
Last grade in English Class (as appears on last report card):
| A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F | |||||
Overall average grade (as appears on last report card): | ||||||
How often do you exercise in an average week? (Circle one)
| Every day | 4–6 days a week | 1–3 days a week | Less than one day a week | ||
What is your family situation:
| Parents are married or live together | Parents live apart | Parents are divorced, I live with mom or dad | Live with legal guardian | ||
Average total number of hours a day spent on Internet: (Circle one)
| Less than 1 | 1–2 | 3–4 | More than 4 | ||
Average total number of hours a day spent on Computer games: (Circle one)
| Less than 1 | 1–2 | 3–4 | More than 4 | ||
Average total number of hours a day spent on other console games such as Playstation, N64, etc. (Circle one)
| Less than 1 | 1–2 | 3–4 | More than 4 | ||
Total number of hours a day spent watching television: (Circle one)
| Less than 1 | 1–2 | 3–4 | More than 4 | ||
Type of games played : (Circle as many as apply)
| Sports | Strategy | Action | Other | ||
Favorite game:
| ||||||
How many detentions have you had in the past month?
| ||||||
Have you been suspended from school in the past year?
| YES | NO | If yes, how many times? | |||
Have you been in a physical fight in the past year?
| YES | NO | If yes, how many times? | |||
Have you been arrested in the past year?
| YES | NO | If yes, how many times? | |||
Do you drink alcohol? (Circle one)
| YES | NO | ||||
If yes, how many drinks per week on average? | ||||||
Do you smoke? (Circle one)
| YES | NO | ||||
If yes, how many cigarettes per day on average? | ||||||
Do you smoke marijuana? (Circle one)
| YES | NO | ||||
If yes, how many joints per week on average? | ||||||
Other drugs and amount:
| ||||||
How often do you use alcohol/cigarettes/drugs while playing video games? (Circle one)
| ALWAYS | SOMETIMES | RARELY | NEVER | ||
Rarely
|
Occasionally
|
Frequently
|
Often
|
Always
|
Does Not Apply
| |
1. How often do you find that you play video games longer than you intended?
| ||||||
2. How often do you neglect household chores to spend more time playing video games?
| ||||||
3. How often do you prefer the excitement of playing video games to spending time with your girl/boy friend or family?
| ||||||
4. How often do you play video games with friends?
| ||||||
5. How often do others in your life complain to you about the amount of time you spend playing video games?
| ||||||
6. How often do your grades or schoolwork suffer because of the amount of time you spend playing video games?
| ||||||
7. How often do you play video games before something else that you need to do?
| ||||||
8. How often does your job performance or productivity suffer because of playing video games?
| ||||||
9. How often do you become defensive or secretive when anyone asks you how much time you spend playing video games?
| ||||||
10. How often do you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with thoughts of playing video games?
| ||||||
11. How often do you find yourself anticipating when you will play video games again?
| ||||||
12. How often do you fear that life without video games would be boring, empty, and joyless?
| ||||||
13. How often do you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are playing video games?
| ||||||
14. How often do you lose sleep due to late-night video games?
| ||||||
15. How often do you feel preoccupied with playing video games when not, or fantasize about doing so?
| ||||||
16. How often do you find yourself saying "just a few more minutes" when playing video games?
| ||||||
17. How often do you try to cut down the amount of time you spend playing video games and fail?
| ||||||
18. How often do you try to hide how long you've been playing video games?
| ||||||
19. How often do you choose to spend more time playing video games over going out with others?
| ||||||
20. How often do you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are not playing video games, which goes away once you are back playing?
| ||||||
Subjects were also asked to complete the Beck Depression Inventory. | ||||||
Production note: This article was amended post-publication. For copyright reasons, the Beck Depression Inventory was removed.
|
Appendix B
Relation to student: (Circle one) | Father | Mother | Legal Guardian | Other (specify): |
---|---|---|---|---|
Number of hours child spends a day on Internet total: (Circle one)
| < 1 | 1–2 | 3–4 | >4 |
Number of hours a day child spends on computer games: (Circle one)
| < 1 | 1–2 | 3–4 | >4 |
Number hours a day child spends on console games (Playstation, Nintendo, etc.): (Circle one)
| < 1 | 1–2 | 3–4 | >4 |
Number hours a day child spends watching television: (Circle one)
| < 1 | 1–2 | 3–4 | >4 |
Has your son/daughter ever been diagnosed with: (Circle one)
| Depression | Anxiety Disorder | ADD/ADHD | Other (specify): |
If so, for how many years?
| ||||
Does your son/daughter have any other medical illnesses (diabetes, epilepsy, etc.)?
| Yes | No | If so, please specify: | |
Is your son/daughter currently on any prescription medications?
| Yes | No | ||
If so, please list medications:
| ||||
Is your son/daughter:
|
NOT TRUE AT ALL (NEVER, SELDOM)
|
JUST A LITTLE TRUE (SOMETIMES)
|
PRETTY MUCH TRUE (OFTEN)
|
VERY MUCH TRUE (VERY OFTEN)
|
1 Inattentive, easily distracted
| ||||
2 Angry and resentful
| ||||
3 Difficulty doing or completing homework
| ||||
4 Always "on the go"
| ||||
5 Short attention span
| ||||
6 Argues with adults
| ||||
7 Fidgets with hands/feet, squirm in seat
| ||||
8 Fails to complete assignments on time
| ||||
9 Hard to control in malls or grocery shopping
| ||||
10 Messy or disorganized at home or school
| ||||
11 Loses temper
| ||||
12 Needs close supervision to get through assignments
| ||||
13 Only attends if it is something he/she is very interested in
| ||||
14 Runs or climbs excessively in situations where it is inappropriate
| ||||
15 Distractibility or attention span a problem
| ||||
16 Irritable
| ||||
17 Avoids, expresses reluctance about, or has difficulty engaging in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as school work or homework)
| ||||
18 Restless in the "squirmy" sense
| ||||
19 Gets distracted when given instruction to do something
| ||||
20 Actively defies or refuses to comply with adults' requests
| ||||
21 Has trouble concentrating in class
| ||||
22 has difficulty waiting in lines or awaiting turn in games or group situations
| ||||
23 Leaves seat in classroom or other situation in which remaining seated is expected
| ||||
24 Deliberately does things that annoy other people
| ||||
25 Does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace
| ||||
26 has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
| ||||
27 Easily frustrated in efforts
|