Impact of Mobile Phone Game Addiction on Sri Lankan Teenagers: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Technology has become an essential part of human life and it has significantly changed the behaviors of individuals. One of the popular applications of technology is the smartphone and it has an inseparable relationship with modern teenagers. With the improvement of technology, many teenagers use their mobile phones for playing games. Teenagers use these games for multiple purposes such as a hobby, for relaxation, to be adventurous, and for gambling. Most of the time it is started as a hobby but sometimes it becomes an addiction. The current study examined the impact of mobile phone game addiction on Sri Lankan teenagers. The main objectives were to identify how mobile phone game addiction affected their academic performance, aggression, self-identity, physical health, mental health, and family relationships. The study was conducted according to the qualitative research method. Six teenage participants were interviewed using semi-structured interviews and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results show that the influence of mobile phone game addiction differs according to the amount of time they play. From the participants’ point of view, mobile phone gaming is a major barrier for academics and physical health and it increased their aggression. Results show that it has no powerful effect on self-identity and mental well being. Its effect on family relationships is neutral. Most of the participants wanted to stop playing games but a few didn’t see anything wrong with playing mobile games. More research is needed to identify reasons as to why they are addicted to games and how to rescue them from mobile phone game addiction.