CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 2Impact of Technology on AdolescentsGambling Behavior and TreatmentsEducational Games and Gamification

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 5 of the 5 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Problematic Gaming and Academic Achievement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Open access
Chew, Peter K. H., Yow, Yong Jie, Dimech, Riley·2026·Current Addiction Reports
DOI 10.1007/s40429-026-00718-2
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

Purpose of Review: The extant research on the relationship between problematic gaming (PG) and academic achievement (AA) has been summarized in a recent systematic review. However, the data was not statistically synthesized, imposing a limit to their conclusions. The current study aimed to address this limitation by conducting a new systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize the data. Recent Findings: A systematic review of the relationship between PG and AA concluded that the findings are mixed and there are limited longitudinal studies. Specifically, it is currently unclear if PG is a risk factor or negative consequence of AA. For example, individuals with PG might spend a disproportionate amount of time on games, neglecting their studies and leading to lower AA. Alternatively, individuals with lower AA might engage in PG to escape negative moods or to satisfy their unmet need for achievement. Summary: A comprehensive search was conducted on the databases PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to 25 March 2025. The data was analyzed using Meta-Essentials and the random effects model was used to obtain the pooled estimate of the effect size. A total of 23 articles containing 25 effect sizes were included (total participant N = 16067). An overall pooled effect size of -0.17 was found. However, significant heterogeneity was found across the effect sizes and it could be explained by study design. Specifically, longitudinal effect sizes (AA → PG) had the largest effect size (r = -0.29), followed by cross-sectional effect sizes (r = -0.18) and longitudinal effect sizes (PG → AA) (r = -0.09). This suggested that PG is more likely a negative consequence than a risk factor of AA. Limitations include the small impact of publication bias and the exclusion of a number of relevant articles without effect sizes. Future research could conduct more longitudinal studies to examine the causal relationships between the variables (i.e., both PG → AA and AA → PG) and examine potential mediators like the escape motivation to understand the mechanisms underlying the AA → PG relationship.

Overview

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1007/s40429-026-00718-2

Cites

5 of 5 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Verification

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Citations

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 50

  1. Alzahrani AKD, Griffiths MD. Problematic gaming and students’ academic performance: A systematic review. Int J Ment Health Addiction [Internet]. 2024 June 10 [cited 2024 Dec 30]; Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-024-01338-5 · DOI
  2. Granic I, Lobel A, Engels RCME. The benefits of playing video games. Am Psychol. 2014;69(1):66–78. · DOI · Paper page
  3. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013. · DOI · Paper page
  4. Kim HS, Son G, Roh EB, Ahn WY, Kim J, Shin SH, et al. Prevalence of gaming disorder: A meta-analysis. Addict Behav. 2022;126:107183. · DOI
  5. Chew PKH. A meta-analytic review of internet gaming disorder and the big five personality factors. Addict Behav. 2022;126:107193. · DOI
  6. Pontes HM, Schivinski B, Kannen C, Montag C. The interplay between time spent gaming and disordered gaming: A large-scale world-wide study. Soc Sci Med. 2022;296:114721. · DOI
  7. Estupiñá FJ, Bernaldo-de-Quirós M, Vallejo-Achón M, Fernández-Arias I, Labrador F. Emotional regulation in gaming disorder: A systematic review. Am J Addictions. 2024;33(6):605–20. · DOI
  8. Hew YC, Chew PKH. Distress tolerance as a risk factor for specific internet-use disorders. J technol behav sci [Internet]. 2025 Feb 13 [cited 2025 Feb 13]; Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-025-00489-z · DOI
  9. Chew PKH, Naidu KNC, Shi J, Zhang MWB. Prevalence and correlates of (internet) gaming disorder among young adults in Singapore. Psychiatr Q. 2025. · DOI
  10. Wong HY, Mo HY, Potenza MN, Chan MNM, Lau WM, Chui TK, et al. Relationships between severity of internet gaming disorder, severity of problematic social media use, sleep quality and psychological distress. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(6):1879. · DOI
  11. Krishnan A, Chew PKH. Impact of social media addiction and internet gaming disorder on sleep quality: serial mediation analyses. Psychiatr Q. 2024. · DOI
  12. Wang Q, Mati K, Cai Y. The link between problematic internet use, problematic gaming, and psychological distress: does sleep quality matter? BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21(1):103. · DOI
  13. Bargeron AH, Hormes JM. Psychosocial correlates of internet gaming disorder: Psychopathology, life satisfaction, and impulsivity. Comput Hum Behav. 2017;68:388–94. · DOI
  14. Peeters M, Koning I, van den Eijnden R. Predicting internet gaming disorder symptoms in young adolescents: A one-year follow-up study. Comput Hum Behav. 2018;80:255–61. · DOI
  15. Kumar S, Agarwal M, Agarwal N. Defining and measuring academic performance of Hei students- A critical review. Turkish J Comput Math Educ. 2021;12(6):3091–105.
  16. Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, Boutron I, Hoffmann TC, Mulrow CD, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ. 2021;372:1–9.
  17. Downes MJ, Brennan ML, Williams HC, Dean RS. Development of a critical appraisal tool to assess the quality of cross-sectional studies (AXIS). BMJ Open. 2016;6(12):e011458. · DOI · Paper page
  18. Suurmond R, van Rhee H. Introduction, comparison, and validation of Meta-Essentials: A free and simple tool for meta-analysis. Res Synthesis Methods. 2017;8(4):537–53. · DOI · Paper page
  19. Borenstein M, Hedges LV, Higgins JPT, Rothstein HR. Introduction to Meta-Analysis. 1st edition. Chichester, U.K: Wiley; 2009. 452 p. · DOI · Paper page
  20. Higgins JPT, Thompson SG, Deeks JJ, Altman DG. Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses. BMJ 2003 Sept 4;327(7414):557–60. · DOI · Paper page
  21. Egger M, Smith GD, Schneider M, Minder C. Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test. BMJ 1997 Sept 13;315(7109):629–34. · DOI · Paper page
  22. Duval S, Tweedie R. A nonparametric trim and fill method of accounting for publication bias in meta-analysis. J Am Stat Assoc. 2000;95(449):89–98.
  23. Duval S, Tweedie R. Trim and fill: A simple funnel-plot–based method of testing and adjusting for publication bias in meta-analysis. Biometrics. 2000 June;56(2):455–63. · DOI · Paper page
  24. Ahmer Z, Shafique MA, Haseeb A, Mazhar R, Khan L, Ahmed F. How common is internet gaming addiction among undergraduates of health sciences programs active on social media in karachi? A cross-sectional survey. J Dow Univ Health Sci. 2023;17(2):71–6. · DOI
  25. Cırıs V, Baskonus T, Kartal T, Tasdemır A. A study on digital game addictions of adolescents in the covid-19 pandemic. JESEH. 2022;8(2):168–86. · DOI
  26. ELNahas G, Elella EA, Hewedi D, Elhabiby M, Elkholy H, Mansour O, et al. Problematic online gaming among a sample of university students in Egypt. Addict Disorders their Treat. 2018;17(4):161–7. · DOI
  27. Ferguson CJ, Ceranoglu TA. Attention problems and pathological gaming: resolving the ‘chicken and egg’ in a prospective analysis. Psychiatr Q. 2014;85(1):103–10. · DOI
  28. Gentile D. Pathological video-game use among youth ages 8 to 18: A National study. Psychol Sci. 2009;20(5):594–602. · DOI
  29. Hawi N, Samaha M. Relationships of gaming disorder, ADHD, and academic performance in university students: A mediation analysis. PLoS ONE. 2024;19(4):e0300680. · DOI
  30. Jaafar NR, Baharudin A, Tajjudin I, Ling LS, Safarudin MA, Sufia DS, et al. Factors correlated with internet gaming disorder among Malaysian university students. Malaysian J Med Health Sci. 2021;17(2):54–62.
  31. Jeong EJ, Kim DH. Social activities, self-efficacy, game attitudes, and game addiction. Cyberpsychology Behav Social Netw. 2011;14(4):213–21. · DOI
  32. Karnadi EB, Pangestu S. Does internet gaming disorder hinder academic performance? Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan Dan Konseling. 2022;6(1):1–15. · DOI
  33. Kristensen SM, Jørgensen M, Haug E. I want to play a game: examining sex differences in the effects of pathological gaming, academic self-efficacy, and academic initiative on academic performance in adolescence. Educ Inform Technol. 2024;29(15):19711–28. · DOI
  34. Paschke K, Austermann MI, Thomasius R. Assessing icd-11 gaming disorder in adolescent gamers: development and validation of the gaming disorder scale for adolescents (GADIS-A). J Clin Med. 2020;9(4):1–22. · DOI
  35. Pattanaseri K, Atsariyasing W, Pornnoppadol C, Sanguanpanich N, Srifuengfung M. Mental problems and risk factors for depression among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. Med (Baltim). 2022;101(38):e30629. · DOI
  36. Phetphum C, Keeratisiroj O, Prajongjeep A. The association between mobile game addiction and mental health problems and learning outcomes among Thai youths classified by gender and education levels. Asian J Social Health Behav. 2023;6(4):196–202. · DOI
  37. Polat A, Topal M. Relationship between digital game addiction with body mass index, academic achievement, player types, gaming time: A cross-sectional study. JETOL. 2022;5(4):901–15. · DOI
  38. Samaha M, Hawi N. Internet gaming disorder and its relationships with student engagement and academic performance. Int J Cyber Behav Psychol Learn. 2020;10(4):14–33. · DOI · Paper page
  39. Schmitt ZL, Livingston MG. Video game addiction and college performance among males: results from a 1 year longitudinal study. Cyberpsychology Behav Social Netw. 2015;18(1):25–9. · DOI · Paper page
  40. Suryawanshi DM, Rajaseharan D, Venugopal R, Mathew M, Joy A, Goyal R. The association between gaming practices and scholastic performance among medical students in india: Case-control study. JMIR Med Educ 2021 Sept 9;7(3):e22235. · DOI
  41. Ting TT, Lee KT, Lim SM, Lai CC, Omar MA, Alin J et al. Assessing the identity of digital technology in education in the age of digital communication. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies [Internet]. 2023;13(4). Available from: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85178421002&doi=10.30935%2fojcmt%2f13695&partnerID=40&md5=f6b7829447d80b283b73ac952840a742 · DOI
  42. Van Den Eijnden R, Koning I, Doornwaard S, Van Gurp F, Ter Bogt T. The impact of heavy and disordered use of games and social media on adolescents’ psychological, social, and school functioning. J Behav Addictions. 2018 Sept;7(3):697–706. · DOI · Paper page
  43. Yang HM, Tong KK, Li Y, Tao VYK, Zhang MX, Wu AMS. Testing the influence of social axioms on internet gaming disorder tendency with a cross-lagged panel model: A one-year longitudinal study. Int J Mental Health Addict. 2022;20(5):2587. · DOI
  44. Zhang MX, Wang X, Yu SM, Wu AMS. Purpose in life, social support, and internet gaming disorder among Chinese university students: A 1-year follow-up study. Addict Behav. 2019;99:106070. · DOI
  45. Zorbaz SD, Ulas O, Kizildag S. Relation between video game addiction and interfamily relationships on primary school students. Kuram Ve Uygulamada Eğitim Bilimleri/Educational Sciences: Theory Pract. 2015;15(2):489–97.
  46. Lemmens JS, Valkenburg PM, Gentile DA. The internet gaming disorder scale. Psychol Assess. 2015;27(2):567–82. · DOI
  47. Pontes HM, Király O, Demetrovics Z, Griffiths MD. The conceptualisation and measurement of DSM-5 internet gaming disorder: the development of the IGD-20 test. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(10):e110137. · DOI
  48. Yu Y, Yang X, Wang S, Wang H, Chang R, Tsamlag L, et al. Serial multiple mediation of the association between internet gaming disorder and suicidal ideation by insomnia and depression in adolescents in Shanghai, China. BMC Psychiatry. 2020 Sept;23(1):460. · DOI
  49. Altman DG, Bland JM. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. BMJ: Br Med J. 1995;311(7003):485–485. · DOI · Paper page
  50. Wagenmakers EJ, Marsman M, Jamil T, Ly A, Verhagen J, Love J, et al. Bayesian inference for psychology. Part I: theoretical advantages and practical ramifications. Psychon Bull Rev. 2018;25(1):35–57. · DOI

Metadata

Authors
Chew, P. K. H., Yow, Y. J., & Dimech, R.
Affiliations
James Cook University Singapore (SG)
Corresponding author
Chew, Peter K. H.
ORCID
Venue
Current Addiction Reports
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2026-03-03
Volume
13
Issue
1
ISSN
2196-2952 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1007/s40429-026-00718-2
OpenAlex
W7133305292
Cited by
2
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 2
FWCI
5.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Current Addiction Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • ResearchOnline - JCU (James Cook University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
James Cook University
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
Keywords
gaming addiction, academic performance, escape motivation, need for achievement, causal direction

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review