The results of the research conducted by BTK Vice President Dr. Abdulkerim Gün, in collaboration with BTK Safe Internet Center and Muş Alparslan University to determine the digital game playing habits of middle and high school students in Turkey were announced.
Within the scope of the research in which 20,384 students participated, 11,891 in middle school and 8,493 in high school, digital game, internet, social media addictions, happiness, cyberbullying, boredom-stress and loneliness were examined.
STUDENTS PLAY DIGITAL GAMES FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS DURING THE WEEK
According to the research, it was determined that 95.49 percent of the students own a mobile phone and play digital games for nearly 3 hours during the week.
While 35 percent of high school and middle school students are at risk of game addiction, 31 percent of high school students and 20 percent of middle school students were found to be at risk of internet addiction.
The study also reached important findings regarding the increasing social media addiction. It was determined that 50 percent of high school students and 35 percent of middle school students are at risk of social media addiction.
FACTORS AFFECTING ADDICTION HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED
The study also determined the factors that affect digital game addiction among middle and high school students. Accordingly, the variables that most affect game addiction are loneliness, boredom, happiness, internet and social media addiction, and cyberbullying, respectively.
While variables other than students’ happiness levels, such as loneliness and boredom, increase the level of digital game addiction, it was observed that as happiness increases, the level of game addiction decreases.
10 PERCENT OF STUDENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CYBER BULLYING
It was determined that with the increase in internet usage, 10 percent of students were exposed to moderate level cyberbullying, while high level cyberbullying was rare.
According to the research, while feelings of loneliness are common among middle school and high school students, the level of distress encountered in high school students was found to be higher than in middle school students.
