As computer games grow in popularity, the negative effects of usage should be studied.
Computer games (games played on a computer, tablet, or any web-enabled device) have salient
qualities, especially MMORPGs, that cause addictive symptoms. I investigated computer game
addiction and usage in Trinity College students. A sample of 114 students (M =20.4 years of age,
61% female) was divided into a non-addicted, social player, and computer-addicted group based
on Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire. My results showed that there is no significant correlation
between day quality and computer game usage, and no significant correlation between emotional
dependence and group. Not enough computer-game addicted subjects participated (n=4), so it
was unable to be concluded that computer game addicts have lower GPA, or prefer a certain type
of game. However, the large number of social players (n=57) shows that more research needs to
be conducted to analyze the prevalence of addictive symptoms.