Addiction and high-engagement prevalence rates among South Korean adolescents and young adults

What is it about?

Failure to establish agreed-upon criteria by which to measure and identify problematic online video game play has resulted in a lack of reliable evidence for the actual number of individuals showing signs of dependence. Building upon prior research, this study (N = 1,332) explored the magnitude of problematic video game play using the distinction between core and peripheral criteria for behavioral addiction. Preferences and perceptions towards online video games and addiction were also examined to more thoroughly understand players’ habits.

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Why is it important?

There is significant disagreement on what constitutes problematic gaming, with insufficient evidence to reach any conclusions on an operational definition, let alone reliable prevalence rates. Early research neglected to propose explicit psychological criteria. Rather emphasizing factors such as frequency of play, resulting in a wide range of “addiction” rates. With the findings revealing prevalence between 1.7% and 25.5%, and a 2.7% addiction rate when distinguishing core from peripheral criteria, this investigation emphasizes the importance of reaching consensus in distinguishing healthy from problematic game play. Otherwise, unreliable and overestimations of unhealthy online gaming behavior may continue to be reported, as has been suggested when certain classification systems are used.

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