Tso Winnie W Y, Reichert Frank, Law Nancy, Fu King Wa, de la Torre Jimmy, Rao Nirmala, Leung Lok Kan, Wang Yu-Liang, Wong Wilfred H S, Ip Patrick
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong.
State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong.
Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2022 Feb 2;20:100382. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100382. eCollection 2022 Mar.
Digital competence can help children and adolescents engage with technology for acquiring new knowledge and for broadening social contact and support, while reducing the risk of inappropriate media use. This study investigated the effects of digital competence on the risk of gaming addiction among children and adolescents. We explored whether students with good digital competence were protected from the adverse effects of media use and the risk of gaming addiction.
1956 students (690 primary and 1266 secondary) completed a digital competence assessment and a self-report questionnaire on their mental health status, use of digital devices, and experiences of cyberbullying. Multiple regression analyses with further mediation and moderation analyses were performed to investigate the association of digital competence with gaming addiction and mental health in children and adolescents.
Regression analyses showed that children and adolescents with better digital competence were less likely to develop gaming addiction ( = -0.144, p < 0.0001) and experienced less cyberbullying behaviour as perpetrators ( = -0.169, p < 0.0001) and as victims ( = -0.121, p < 0.0001). Digital competence was found to mediate the relationship between digital device usage time and gaming addiction.
Digital competence is associated with less gaming addiction and could potentially lead to better mental wellbeing by reducing the risks of gaming addiction and cyberbullying. Education that promotes digital competence is essential to maximize the benefits of media use, while reducing the potential adverse effects from the inappropriate use of digital devices.
This study was supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the HKSAR Government (#T44-707/16N) under the Theme-based Research Scheme.
数字能力有助于儿童和青少年利用技术获取新知识、扩大社交联系和获得支持，同时降低不当使用媒体的风险。本研究调查了数字能力对儿童和青少年游戏成瘾风险的影响。我们探讨了具备良好数字能力的学生是否能免受媒体使用的不利影响以及游戏成瘾的风险。
1956名学生（690名小学生和1266名中学生）完成了一项数字能力评估以及一份关于他们心理健康状况、数字设备使用情况和网络欺凌经历的自我报告问卷。进行了多元回归分析以及进一步的中介和调节分析，以研究数字能力与儿童和青少年游戏成瘾及心理健康之间的关联。
回归分析表明，数字能力较强的儿童和青少年患游戏成瘾的可能性较小（β = -0.144，p < 0.0001），作为欺凌者经历的网络欺凌行为较少（β = -0.169，p < 0.0001），作为受害者经历的网络欺凌行为也较少（β = -0.121，p < 0.0001）。研究发现数字能力在数字设备使用时间与游戏成瘾之间起中介作用。
数字能力与较少的游戏成瘾相关，并且通过降低游戏成瘾和网络欺凌的风险，可能会带来更好的心理健康。促进数字能力的教育对于最大化媒体使用的益处、同时减少不当使用数字设备的潜在不利影响至关重要。
本研究由香港特别行政区政府研究资助局（#T44 - 707/16N）主题研究计划的一项拨款支持。
