Digital Detriment: The Impact of Online Gaming Duration on Non-Cognitive Abilities Development in Rural Chinese Children

This study is based on the data of the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS). By adopting the multilevel linear model and instrumental variable approach, it systematically explores the impact of online game duration on the non-cognitive abilities of rural children and the underlying mechanism. The research findings are as follows: (1) After controlling for individual, family, and school characteristics, for every one-hour increase in the average daily online game duration, the social integration, openness ability, positive emotions, and learning perseverance of rural children decrease by 0.014, 0.007, 0.012, and 0.033 standard deviations respectively (p<0.01). (2) The heterogeneity analysis indicates that boys, non-boarding children, and heavy online game users (more than 2 hours per day) are more significantly influenced. (3) The mechanism test reveals that online games indirectly affect the development of non-cognitive abilities through three channels: reducing the frequency of parent-child interaction, squeezing out physical exercise time, and taking up homework time. This research provides a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for formulating digital behavior intervention policies for rural children.