Electronic Gaming: Associations with self-regulation, emotional difficulties and academic performance

Abstract

Drawing on data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), this chapter reports on the use of electronic games by young children (8-9 years old) and the associations with cognitive self-regulation, academic performance (mathematics, language and literacy) and emotional difficulties two years later when children were 10-11 years of age. Results indicated that, compared to children who played electronic games for 120 minutes or less per week, playing games for between 121 and 240 minutes per week was associated with better scores on Language and Literacy and Mathematical Thinking at 10 to 11 years of age. Conversely, use of electronic games for more than an hour per day (more than 421 minutes per week) was associated with lower cognitive self-regulation and an increase in emotional difficulties at 10-11 years of age.