Gaming onset and engagement among university students: a question of mismanaged emotions?

Gaming and associated psychological concerns have become increasingly prevalent among young adults in Latin America. However, little is known about the psychosocial factors that distinguish current, former, and non-gamers in this population.

A cross-sectional survey design was used with a convenience sample of 1,318 university students in Mexico (M_age = 19.90, SD = 1.67; 46.5% female). Participants completed measures of prosocial behavior, emotional intelligence, perceived social support, and mental health. One-way ANOVAs and MANOVAs were conducted to examine group differences across gamer profiles. Additionally, three binomial logistic regressions were performed to identify predictors of gaming onset and sustained engagement.

Significant differences were found across the three gamer profiles, particularly between current gamers and the other groups. Current gamers were more likely to be male and exhibited lower levels of emotional intelligence and prosocial behavior. Sex was the only significant predictor of gaming onset, with males being approximately eight times more likely to begin gaming (OR = 8.08, 95% CI [5.61, 11.64]). Maintenance of gaming was associated with being male (OR = 1.57, 95% CI [1.22, 2.02]) and having lower emotional awareness (OR = 0.95, 95% CI [0.92, 0.97]). Being a current gamer was significantly predicted by male sex (OR = 9.67, 95% CI [6.61, 14.15]) and lower emotional intelligence (OR = 0.98, 95% CI [0.97, 0.99]).

These findings highlight distinct emotional and sociodemographic profiles among current and former gamers. They suggest that emotional intelligence, particularly emotional awareness, may play a key role in maintaining gaming behavior. The results have potential implications for designing targeted prevention strategies for gaming disorder among university students.