Academic Performance and Internet Gaming Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study

In recent years, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has become a global issue as people have gotten overly enthusiastic about playing excessive internet games. Adolescents who play excessively on the internet develop IGD, which impacts their academic performance.  In the present study, a comparative research design has opted to explore the impact of IGD across gender, academic performance, and adolescence. A total of 357 adolescents (males = 220, females = 137) from various private schools and colleges of Rawalpindi and Islamabad were selected to obtain data on Internet Gaming Disorder Scale 9- Short Form (IGDS9-SF). The results of one-way ANOVA showed a significant main effect of IGD across gender (males & females). They indicated the evidence of the significance of the main effect for the assessment of IGD with F (1,355) = 11.36, p=.001. The results of two-way mixed factorial ANCOVA showed that there is a significant main effect for IGD across Academic Performance Groups (A, B, C, D & F grades). They indicated the evidence of the significance of the main effect for the assessment of IGD with (F (4,352) = [9.806], p<.001). Further results of two-way mixed factorial ANCOVA showed that there is a significant main effect for IGD across Groups (early & late adolescence). They indicated the evidence of the significance of the main effect for the assessment of IGD with F (1,355) = 6.594, p= .011. These findings may aid in the development of a policy for the efficient use of the Internet, as well as the development of awareness programs to educate parents about the harmful use of Internet games, as well as the identification and formulation of intervention plans for adolescents suffering from IGD symptoms and performing poorly in school.