Determinants of Online Game Addiction Among Indonesian Adolescents

Background: The advent of globalization has integrated technology into our lives, and one aspect of it is the internet, which has introduced easily accessible forms of entertainment for people of all backgrounds. Online gaming has gained immense popularity worldwide, including in Indonesia, as demonstrated by the growing number of individuals engaging in online gaming activities. Online game addiction refers to a psychological state characterized by maladaptive patterns of behavior, similar to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), involving repetitive actions within online gaming that lead individuals to neglect important obligations. This research aims to investigate the factors associated with online game addiction among adolescents.

Materials and Methods: The research design utilized in this study is cross-sectional. A total of 135 respondents were included, employing a complete sampling method. Data collection involved administering questionnaires in various sections, including a demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire assessing factors related to online game addiction, and the Game Addiction Scale (GAS) questionnaire. The validity of these questionnaires was assessed by comparing the calculated correlation coefficient (r) against the critical value (0.361), demonstrating a satisfactory level of validity. Additionally, the reliability of the questionnaires was evaluated using Cronbach’s Alpha, which surpassed the acceptable level of 0.6. Data analysis was conducted utilizing the Chi-Square test.

Results: The research findings indicate significant associations between various factors and online game addiction. Gender was found to be significantly related to online game addiction (p=0.001). No significant relationship was observed between hope (p=0.691) and self-control (p=0.741) with online game addiction. Factors such as the desire to achieve high scores (p=0.001), feelings of boredom (p=0.001), peer environment (p=0.01), poor social competence (p=0.001), and parental expectations/supervision (p=0.001) were all found to be significantly associated with online game addiction. These findings highlight the importance of considering multiple factors in understanding and addressing the issue of online game addiction among adolescents. with males being more susceptible to addiction compared to females (Odds Ratio 14.556[95% CI: 2,490-85,079]), as evidenced by logistic regression analysis. 

Keywords: Factors of online game addiction, Indonesian Adolecent.