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- Title
Computer/gaming station use in youth: Correlations among use, addiction and functional impairment.
- Authors
Baer, Susan; Saran, Kelly; Green PhD, David A.
- Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Computer/gaming station use is ubiquitous in the lives of youth today. Overuse is a concern, but it remains unclear whether problems arise from addictive patterns of use or simply excessive time spent on use. The goal of the present study was to evaluate computer/gaming station use in youth and to examine the relationship between amounts of use, addictive features of use and functional impairment. METHOD: A total of 110 subjects (11 to 17 years of age) from local schools participated. Time spent on television, video gaming and non-gaming recreational computer activities was measured. Addictive features of computer/gaming station use were ascertained, along with emotional/behavioural functioning. Multiple linear regressions were used to understand how youth functioning varied with time of use and addictive features of use. RESULTS: Mean (± SD) total screen time was 4.5±2.4 h/day. Addictive features of use were consistently correlated with functional impairment across multiple measures and informants, whereas time of use, after controlling for addiction, was not. CONCLUSIONS: Youth are spending many hours each day in front of screens. In the absence of addictive features of computer/gaming station use, time spent is not correlated with problems; however, youth with addictive features of use show evidence of poor emotional/ behavioural functioning.
- Subjects
REGRESSION analysis; COMPUTER users; INTERNET addiction; VIDEO games; HUMAN behavior; CHILDREN'S health; COMPULSIVE behavior; COMPUTERS; QUESTIONNAIRES; RESEARCH funding; MULTIPLE regression analysis; DATA analysis software; FUNCTIONAL assessment; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; ADOLESCENCE
- Publication
Paediatrics & Child Health (1205-7088), 2012, Vol 17, Issue 8, p427
- ISSN
1205-7088
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/pch/17.8.427