How and when is academic stress associated with adolescent digital game addiction?: Social interaction via digital games as a mediator and parental monitoring as a moderator

This study investigated the relationship between academic stress and digital game addiction in adolescents, and examined the mediating role of social interaction via digital games and moderating role of parental monitoring. Data were collected from a large sample of 73,456 Korean adolescents and analyzed using linear regression and the Hayes PROCESS macro (Models 4 and 5). First, the linear regression analysis revealed that academic stress was positively linked to digital game addiction. Second, mediation analysis suggested that the relationship between academic stress and digital game addiction may be mediated by social interaction via digital games. Third, moderating analysis showed that parental monitoring moderated the effect of academic stress on digital game addiction. This study’s results highlight the importance of a holistic approach to understanding digital game addiction that considers individual stress, social factors within digital game environments, and parental influence. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.