The purpose of the study is to provide pedagogical implications for better computer use by analyzing the relationship between the mental health and school adaptation through the understanding of the realities of computer game addiction among the eleme...
The purpose of the study is to provide pedagogical implications for better computer use by analyzing the relationship between the mental health and school adaptation through the understanding of the realities of computer game addiction among the elementary school students.
Three questionnaires were used to attain the purpose of the study; an internet-game addiction questionnaire, a mental health questionnaire, and a school adaptation questionnaire. The subjects were recruited from the two the mid-size N and S elementary schools located in the small city, Gangnung, Gangwondo, and the total number of 600 of fifth and sixth grade students participated in the study.
Data were collected in the selected schools from April 1st, 2009 to April 20th 2009, and only 575 out of 600 were used for analysis purpose. For the analysis of computer game addiction, mental health measures, and school adaptation, Young’s (0000) Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Kim’s (1984) mental health measures adapted for elementary school students, and Kim’s (2002) school adaptation measures were used respectively.
The results are as follows; the elementary school students used computer for the purpose of playing game, and the male students played computer game more than the female students, and the female students tended to use internet for the communication purpose and chatting. Usually in the 3rd or the 4th grade, they started the computer game, but the male and 6th grade students started the computer game from the 1st or 2nd grade. Most of them played the computer game at home but the male students tended to use PC room to play the computer game.
The main reason for the elementary school students play the computer game is for fun, and the 6th grade students play the game with friends or siblings. It was also found that the students play the game two or three times a week; the male students play more frequently and longer as getting higher in grade whereas the female and the lower grade students play less than one hour.
Parents tend to limit the time for playing game, but in the case of female students and 6th grade, parents are not likely to limit the time. The concern of parents on the computer game was not serious, and many of them do not have knowledge on the computer (game) and were careless on the students’ computer game, which may cause serious problem. The number of the computer game the elementary school students play are 65 including RPG, MapleStory, and StarCraft, but further research will be necessary to find out what kinds of game will be useful for the elementary students and furthermore, how the computer game will be utilized for students’ learning purpose.
In regard to the addiction to computer game, not many students are addicted at the moment of research, but it was found that many are potential addict, for which a careful guidance will be necessary. Furthermore, the male and the 6th grade students are more likely to addict to the computer game than the female and the 5th grade students, for which a particular guidance is also required. For the 2.1 % of the addicted students, a special individual needs is definitely required.
The relationship between the game-addicted group and the mental health represents that dissatisfaction and uneasiness are the highest variables and followed by some other variables. Therefore, it was found that the computer game affects elementary school students’ mental health.
The relationship between the game addiction and the school adaptation represents that all variables are highly correlated, particularly showed significant relations with the variable, learning activity.
The relationship between the game-addicted group, the mental health and the school adaptation, represents that variables for the mental health are correlated with variables for the school adaptation whereas variables of the mental health and the school adaptation for non-addicted group showed less or no relationship. That is, the computer game addiction affects students’ mental health, so the mental health guidance is necessary for the addicted students along with the guidance for the school adaptation.