An exploration of why gaming communities may make younger and non-normative gamers vulnerable to Internet Gaming Disorder

Existing literature has primarily evaluated how exposure to video game content impacts social and behavioral functioning. However, the parameters of video game engagement have expanded with multiplayer online gaming, live streaming, and community discussion on social media platforms. This study sought to examine how participation in online gaming communities is associated with problematic gaming behaviors and symptoms of Internet gaming disorder (IGD). A sample of 1176 gamers completed an online survey investigating game habits, community involvement, and gaming preferences as measured by both the Game Community of Inquiry Scale (GCoIS) and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short form (IGDS9-SF). Results from a multiple hierarchical regression indicated several predictors of problematic gaming, including both community attractiveness and community receptiveness. Moreover, data showed that younger gamers and non-normative gamers were more vulnerable to problematic gaming and more severe symptoms of IGD.