Excessive Use of Electronic Games by Adolescents and Its Relationship to Social Isolation from Parents' Perspective

Abstract

The study aimed to explore the relationship between adolescents' excessive use of e-games and social isolation from the perspective of parents. Employing a correlational descriptive approach, the study utilized a sample of 186 parents of adolescents and their adolescent children. Two scales were used: the parents' perspective on adolescents' excessive use of e-games scale and the parents' perspective on adolescents' social isolation scale, both developed by the researcher. The results revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between adolescents' excessive use of electronic games and the level of social isolation prepared by the researcher. The findings indicated a statistically positive correlation between the adolescents' overuse of e-games and the level of social isolation. Also, statistically significant differences in the mean scores of teenagers' excessive use of e-games and sub-dimensions (extent of immersion and time spent, impact on daily performance and life tasks, impact on mental and physical health) in favor of males. However, statistically significant differences were found in the mean scores of the level of social isolation and its sub-dimensions in favor of females. Moreover, statistically significant differences were found in the mean scores of adolescents in the early and middle adolescence stages regarding the overall score of the adolescents' excessive use of electronic games scale and its sub-dimensions in favor of adolescents in the early adolescence stage. Similar differences were observed in the overall score of the Social Isolation scale and its sub-dimensions in favor of adolescents in the early adolescence stage. These results suggest that social isolation is a reflection of the excessive use of electronic games, which increases the risk of social developmental disorders among adolescents.