Factors Influencing Game Addiction among Sri Lankan Undergraduates

Abstract

With the COVID-19 pandemic, world has started to use online learning. So, students have to engage with technology and digital devices more and more. This creates a very good chance to attract students for playing video games and motivate them to hang on games continuously. Most students can easily be addicted because of unawareness about the factors influencing game addiction. So, there is a need to identify those factors especially in Sri Lankan context. With the objective of finding factors influencing game addiction of undergraduates and the relationship between those factors, this research was conducted using a quantitative approach. Conceptual framework consists of Human-Computer Interaction, Social Interaction, Attitude, Subjective Norm, Perceived Behavioral Control, Continuance Intention, and Game Addiction. The data was collected through a survey by taking 210 state university undergraduates as the sample based on convenience sampling method. Data analysis was conducted using statistical analysis and Smart PLS3 and Excel tools. And reliability and validity were established for the study. As well as all 6 hypotheses were supported under 95% of significant level. HumanComputer Interaction, Social Interaction, Attitude, Subjective Norm and Continuance Intention positively impact on Game Addiction while Perceived Behavioral Control negatively impacts. Findings help researchers, students, parents, gaming software development companies, government institutions, counselors, etc. So, playing video games with sufficient awareness helps us to protect from game addiction.