Gaming Addiction, Irritability and Social Connectedness Among Online Gamers

Abstract

Online gaming rose in popularity in the 2000s, and studies of gaming addiction on the internet started to appear, detailing the drawbacks of excessive gaming, how common it is, and the risk factors that go along with it. Playing video games on a computer or other electronic device has become one of the most common recreational pursuits among teenagers, video game addiction is characterized as an uncontrollable, prolonged, and excessive interest in computer or video games, notwithstanding any corresponding social or emotional issues (Lemmens, Valkenburg, & Peter, 2009). This study was conducted to find the relation between gaming addiction, irritability and social connectedness among online gamers. In the present study, Pearson Correlation and regression analysis were performed. A non-experimental correlational design with a quantitative approach was used in this study. The sample consisted of 204 individuals aging between 18-40. The tools used for this study were gaming addiction scale (GAS), Brief irritability scale and social connectedness scale-revised. Correlation and regression analysis were both employed to evaluate the link and effect of gaming addiction on irritability and social connectedness. The findings showed that there is a significant relationship between gaming addiction and irritability, where gaming addiction increases irritability also increases. Between gaming addiction and social connectedness, the result showed no significant relationship between the two. For irritability and social connectedness there exists a negative correlation, which indicates as irritability increase social connectedness decreases.