Association between gaming and wellbeing in young adults - A mixed methods study

Abstract

Objective: The risk of gaming addiction or gaming disorder has become a cause of concern over the past years. This mixed methods study reports young adults’ experiences and self-ratings of the association between gaming and wellbeing coping. The study aimed at producing information about gaming experiences and potential gaming addictions. The research questions were: 1) How do young adults rate the effect of gaming on various aspects of their wellbeing? and 2) How do young adults describe the association between gaming and coping in their own words?
Methods: Data were collected from 18-29-year-old young adults (n = 34) in the west of Finland in March and April 2025 using an online survey tool. Inductive content analysis was used for qualitative data, and central values and distributions in percentages for quantitative data.
Results: The respondents did not report addiction to gaming; over 90% of them felt able to control their gaming. Most of them emphasized the positive effects of gaming on their life quality and social relationships. Most respondents found that gaming had helped them relax. Part of the respondents reported sleep problems. When analyzing the results, it should be noted that self-assessment of addiction cannot necessarily be considered reliable.
Conclusions: Gaming can be seen both neutral, positive and negative with respect to coping, depending the person’s individual life situation.

Keywords

Gaming / Wellbeing / Young adults / Experiences