A moderated mediation model of the relationship between academic stress and digital game addiction

This study examines the relationship between academic stress and digital game addiction, explores the mediating effect of negative mood reduction through digital games, and investigates the moderating effect of perceived parental game use among a large sample of Korean adolescents. Data were collected from the Game Overuse General Survey (GOGS) conducted by the Korea Creative Content Agency in August 2018. Linear regression analysis was performed on a sample of 69,981 participants, and models 4 and 5 of the PROCESS macro were utilized to test the relationship between key variables and their underlying mechanisms. The results reveal a significant positive association between academic stress and digital game addiction. Additionally, the findings demonstrate that negative mood reduction through digital games partially mediates the relationship between academic stress and digital game addiction, and that perceived parental game use significantly moderates the effect of academic stress on digital game addiction. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed, along with suggestions for future research.