Video game usage time in adolescents’ academic performance

 Fernando Gómez-Gonzalvo, Valencia (Spain)

 José Devís-Devís, Valencia (Spain)

 Pere Molina-Alventosa, Valencia (Spain)

https://doi.org/10.3916/C65-2020-08

Keywords

Video games, academic performance, gamers, secondary education, adolescents, survey, ICT, digital leisure

Abstract

Video game usage among young people has generated great concern due to its possible negative effects on their health, socialization and academic performance. Regarding this last aspect, there are studies that point out that video games have negative consequences for academic performance while others emphasize their positive effects. Therefore, the present study deals with the relationship between the video game usage time and the academic performance in adolescent schoolchildren from the Valencian Autonomous Community. An ad hoc questionnaire was used and validated through expert judgment (0.8 validity and reliability) to develop this cross-sectional and ex post facto study. A stratified and proportional representative sample was designed for the ESO student population of this autonomous community and 1,502 questionnaires were collected. Adolescents spend an average of 47.23 minutes a day playing video games, with less time spent during the week than at the weekend. Those who devote more time to videogames during the week fail more subjects and those who spend more time on weekends get better school grades. In addition, frequent, moderate and many of the occasional players obtain good academic results, while the opposite happens to the intensive players. As many of the occasional players achieve good academic performance, a moderate time devoted to video games seems not to affect academic performance.

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Fundref

This study was supported by the Research Group on Physical Activity, Education and Society (AFES for its initials in Spanish) (GIUV2016-310) of the University of Valencia and the Department of Education of the CEU-Cardenal Herrera University.

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Technical information

Received: 21-01-2020

Revised: 10-03-2020

Accepted: 28-04-2020

OnlineFirst: 15-06-2020

Publication date: 01-10-2020

Article revision time: 49 days | Average time revision issue 65: 36 days

Article acceptance time: 97 days | Average time of acceptance issue 65: 78 days

Preprint editing time: 208 days | Average editing time preprint issue 65: 190 days

Article editing time: 253 days | Average editing time issue 65: 235 days

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