Parents’ awareness about the psychosocial impacts of video gaming on their children: A cross-sectional study

Background: Video gaming has become a primary form of entertainment worldwide, offering recreational benefits while simultaneously raising concerns about its physical and psychosocial impacts on children. These concerns include mental health, academic performance, and social interactions. The aim of this study was to evaluate parental awareness of these effects in order to identify knowledge gaps and support the development of targeted interventions. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study included 411 students aged 13–28 years and their parents at Punjab and the ICT (Islamabad Capital Territory) region from July to September 2022. The study design enables concurrent data collection, providing a comprehensive overview of parents’ knowledge, perceptions, and concerns about the effects of video games on their children’s mental health, social behavior, academic performance, and overall well-being. The collected data were subsequently analyzed and interpreted using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Among the 411 participants, a majority, 251 (61.8%), of students reported that they did not feel themselves addicted to video games, while 233 (56.7%) parents believed that their children were addicted and observed signs of depression, anger, and social phobia. Of the 98 (23.8%) students who admitted to being addicted, many indicated that it started during the COVID-19 quarantine. Conclusion: The study suggests that, although students spend long periods playing video games, they do not perceive any symptoms of addiction. In contrast, parents generally find video games unbeneficial, noting a decline in interactive time with their children. They observed behavioral changes, although there were no signs of loss in academic performance. Notably, the results indicate that COVID-19 may have played a role in the onset of video game addiction. It is essential to implement educational initiatives focused on responsible gaming in schools. Parents require assistance in setting healthy gaming boundaries and monitoring screen usage. Policymakers should consider enforcing stricter regulations on child-oriented gaming advertisements. Further research is necessary to evaluate the long-term behavioral effects and intervention techniques.