Associations between Gaming Motivations, Digital Life Balance, and Well-Being among Italian Players: A Cross-Sectional Study

Video games can foster creativity, social connection, and stress relief, yet they may also lead to maladaptive patterns of digital engagement. Building on Self-Determination Theory and the construct of Digital Life Balance (DLB), this study examined how specific gaming motivations relate to both psychological well-being (flourishing) and individuals’ ability to maintain harmony between their online and offline activities. A sample of 285 Italian gamers participated in an anonymous survey assessing Psychological Motivations for playing Video Games, DLB, and flourishing scales. Correlational and multiple regression analyses revealed that avoidance-oriented motives (i.e., escapism, diversion, and habit) were negatively associated with both DLB and well-being, while motivations such as creativity, entertainment, fantasy/immersion, and social appeared neutral or adaptive. These findings suggest that links between gaming and well-being may differ according to players’ underlying motivations, with avoidance-oriented motives showing less favourable associations with both flourishing and DLB.