Context counts: The different implications of weekday and weekend video gaming for academic performance in mathematics, reading, and science. (May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hartanto, Andree; Toh, Wei Xing; Yang, Hwajin
• Is Part Of: Computers & education. Volume 120(2018)
• Page Start: 51
• Page End: 63
• Publication Date: 2018-05
• Subjects: Video games -- Weekday and weekend video gaming -- Academic achievement -- Adolescents; Education -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Education -- Periodicals; Computers -- Periodicals; Computer-Assisted Instruction -- Periodicals; Éducation -- Informatique -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 370.285
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compedu.2017.12.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0360-1315

Abstract

Abstract: Video gaming has been a source of serious concern for parents and educators, based on the belief that video games disrupt adolescents' academic activities. However, previous studies have been mixed regarding video games' effects on academic outcomes. We revisited this issue by analyzing data on approximately 30, 000 adolescents from three large-scale public datasets. We consistently found that the more adolescents played video games on weekdays, the poorer they performed on standardized assessments of mathematics, reading, and science. In contrast, weekend video gaming was positively associated with academic performance. Our findings suggest that weekday and weekend video gaming may be differentially associated with academic outcomes, depending on the context in which it occurs. Highlights: Previous studies have been inconclusive regarding video games' effects on academic outcomes. We analyzed data on approximately 30, 000 adolescents from three public datasets. Adolescents' weekday video gaming negatively predicted academic outcomes. Weekend video gaming was positively associated with academic performance. Weekday and weekend video gaming have different implications for academic outcomes.