Ludo Star Game Addiction and Aggression: Social Support and Empathy as Moderators

In today's society, technology has made life more convenient, yet its addiction can lead to clinical distress and mental health challenges. The goal of the study is to find social support and empathy as moderators between Ludo Star game addiction and aggression, in young adults. The study involved 268 participants (M=22.2, SD=1.9), aged 18 to 25, using a correlational research design and purposive sampling technique, and employed tools like the Gaming Addiction Scale for Adolescents, the Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire, the Basic Empathy Scale, and the Social Support Scale (Short Form). Correlational analysis showed that Ludo Star game addiction is negatively and significantly associated with empathy. However, Ludo Star game addiction is positively linked to aggression and negatively linked to social support, although these connections were not statistically significant. Empathy is positively and significantly related to social support, while its connection with aggression is positive but not significant. Furthermore, aggression showed a negative but non-significant link to social support in young adults. Moderation analysis revealed that empathy significantly moderated the connection between Ludo Star addiction and aggression, while social support did not moderate this link. Gender differences indicated that men scored higher than women in aggression, addiction, and empathy, while men scored lower in social support, though these differences were not significant. The study concludes with limitations, recommendations, and implications for social welfare.