Computer Game Addictions of Children: Chronotype Sleep

Abstract

Objective:Nowadays, the use of computers has become widespread with technological developments, especially among children. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effects of children’s computer game addiction on their chronotype sleep states.Materials and Methods:The research was conducted in 109 parents and children between January 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020, using the ‘‘child information form’’, ‘‘computer game addiction scale for children’’, and ‘‘children’s chronotype questionnaire’’. Data were evaluated in a computer environment using percentage distribution, mean, t-test, and correlation.Results:Of children included in the study, 50.5% were females and the average age was 9.20±1.45 years. Additionally, 94.4% were in the risk group for computer game addiction; 2.8% had morning, 8.3% had intermediate, and 89% had evening type chronotype. There was a significant difference between mothers’ working status and imagining the computer game and associating it with real-life subscale scores of the computer game scale, as well as between children spending time on the computer/tablet and skipping tasks due to computer game subscale scores of the computer game scale (p<0.05). A positive correlation was found between total sleep scores of children and some sub-dimensions and total scores of computer game addiction.Conclusion:Our study determined that most children had the evening type chronotype and they were in the risk group for computer game addiction.

Keywords

• child
• chronotype sleep
• computer game addiction
• nursing