This study intends to provide data that can be used to prevent and treat addiction to computer games by identifying the relationship between the addition to computer games of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in elementary school and their academic achievemen...
This study intends to provide data that can be used to prevent and treat addiction to computer games by identifying the relationship between the addition to computer games of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in elementary school and their academic achievement and relationships with their friends.
For this study to fulfill its purpose, the questions below were presented.
First, would the level of addition to computer games vary depending on children’s gender?
Second, would addiction to computer games affect children’s academic achievement?
Third, would addiction to computer games affect children’s relationship with their friends?
This study involved a survey asking 256 students in 4th,5th,and 6th grades in two elementary schools located in Masan, Gyeongsangnam-do.
The game addiction test used in this study was the revised version of the Internet addiction questionnaire made by Yun Jae-Hee (1998) at the Center for Online Addiction, according to gaming circumstances. As for background variables and the current use of computers, a questionnaire that Gu Ji-Eun (2002) revised based on the questions used to investigate the current use of computer games in the studies of Seo Ju-Hyeon (2001) and Kim Hyeong-Cheon (1999). Children’s academic achievement was classified by class grades into 5 stages (top grade, high grade, medium grade, low grade, lowest grade), and their relationship with friends was examined using a questionnaire composed of 20 questions based on the scale used by Kim Tae-Hyeong’s study on children’s relationship with friends. The survey results were found as follows:
First, children’s gender played a role in their addiction to computer games, and the survey found that male students were more likely to become addicted to computer games than female students.
Second, the analysis of effects of computer game addiction on children’s academic achievement found that the higher the level of game addiction, the more effect it has on academic achievement.
Third, the survey results showed that, as a sub-factor in computer addiction, the level of computer game addiction affected the number of friends that children have, trust between children and their friends, duration of their friendship, and adjustment among friends, but they also found that it did not affect children’s life shared with their friends.
The study results revealed that children’s addiction to computer games affect their academic achievement and relationship with friends.