The Relationship Between Electronic Gaming and Health, Social Relationships, and Physical Activity Among Males in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Physical and psychological effects of playing computer games cannot be ignored. Electronic games are considered to be an influential factor in growth, personality development, and positive sociability of children, and game duration has been associated with increased aggression, reduced mental health, and higher BMI. The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between electronic gaming and health, social relationships, and physical activity among males aged 16–18 years in Saudi Arabia. An online survey designed by the authors containing 60 items and divided into 5 sections was used during one school semester. The sample was selected randomly from 30 high schools; 90 students were selected from each school, with 30 chosen from each of grades 9, 10, and 11. Respondents were 194 male students, aged 17.23 ± 1.52 years. The questionnaire was presented to six experts to assess validity, with Cronbach’s α established at 0.87. Results showed that playing electronic games had a negative relation with health, social relationships, and physical activity among males. The most negative significant was the correlation between electronic games and physical activity ( r = −.49), followed by that with social relationships ( r = −.42) and BMI ( r = −.31) . The lowest result was for health ( r = .20). More empirical investigations are needed to explore deeper effects of electronic gaming on various groups in Saudi society, including the general population, employees, and different categories of school and university students.