Structural Relationships between Game Time, School Adjustment, and Academic Achievement of Elementary, Middle, and High School Students

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of students' game usage time on school adjustment and academic achievement and to clarify the structural relationships between them. Methods Using data from the Gyeonggi Education Panel Study (GEPS), this study analyzed the structural relationships between game usage time, school adjustment, and academic achievement of students in the 6th grade of elementary school, 2nd grade of middle school, and 2nd grade of high school using a structural equation model. Additionally, differences between groups were analyzed based on game usage time. Results Students' game usage time negatively impacted school adjustment and academic achievement. School adjustment positively influenced academic achievement, with the impact increasing from elementary to high school. Game usage time negatively affected academic achievement through the mediation of school adjustment. The influence of game usage time on school adjustment and academic achievement varied by school level and game usage time groups. Conclusions The longer the students' game usage time, the lower their academic achievement tends to be, with game usage time indirectly negatively impacting academic achievement through the mediation of school adjustment. In elementary school, game usage of less than 3 hours per day, and in middle school, 1-2 hours per day did not significantly negatively impact academic achievement. However, in high school, all game usage times negatively impacted academic achievement.