Problematic gaming prevalent amongst younger adults in Singapore, reveals want for ‘third place’: Experts

SINGAPORE – A latest research has discovered greater charges of problematic gaming and associated issues, comparable to extreme gaming and melancholy, amongst younger adults in Singapore than these reported overseas.

The research, led by Associate Professor in Psychology Peter Chew from James Cook University, checked out how frequent web gaming dysfunction (IGD) and gaming dysfunction (GD) are amongst younger adults right here.

Both are

behavioural addictions involving extreme, compulsive gaming,

and have been lately added to two classification methods for psychological issues.

The research discovered that 10.3 per cent of members met the standards for IGD, whereas 5 per cent met the standards for GD.

In comparability,

prevalence charges for problematic gaming

– an umbrella time period used when assessing gaming points broadly – are about 5.08 per cent in Asian areas and a couple of.72 per cent in Europe.

The research by Prof Chew, whose major space of analysis is on behavioural addictions, surveyed 1,008 members aged 18 to 40 and presents new native insights on the dimensions of gaming-related issues amongst younger adults.

Conducted in 2023, it was revealed in tutorial journal Psychiatric Quarterly in February 2025.

Observers stated the findings level to a deeper want for connection and a “third place” – what city sociologists name a social area outdoors house and college or work – with gaming more and more filling that function for youth right here.

Similar research right here have reported problematic gaming charges of 8.7 per cent amongst major and secondary faculty college students, and 15.4 per cent for faculty college students.

Prof Chew’s research outlined IGD as extreme on-line gaming marked by signs comparable to lack of management, tolerance and withdrawal. GD is known as persistent gaming behaviour, offline and on-line, that takes precedence over different actions and causes impairment in each day life.

Males have been extra in danger than females, with 7.2 per cent to 14.6 per cent of them assembly the standards for the issues, in contrast with 2.8 per cent to six.2 per cent for females.

Participants reported their gaming behaviours over 12 months in a web-based survey measuring their gaming motivations, psychological well being and sleep high quality.

Those with issues reported extra time spent gaming, stronger want for gaming motivations like fantasy and competitors, extra detrimental feelings like anxiousness, and poorer sleep than these with out.

Experts and youth counsellors stated “push” components comparable to stress, boredom and emotional struggles, alongside “pull” components like immersive design and built-in rewards, can gas problematic gaming.

The findings come amid rising concern in Singapore over extreme display use, which some say mirror underlying struggles comparable to tutorial stress, household stress, anxiousness or melancholy.

“When people are stressed, they will look for forms of escape,” stated Prof Chew, including that in some international locations, this may increasingly take the type of alcohol or playing.

But in Singapore, these retailers are comparatively expensive or restricted, he stated.

In distinction, gaming and social media are simply accessible. “They’re mostly free and unregulated. If you’re tech savvy, it’s very easy to just use them,” he stated.

Other “push” components that drive problematic gaming embrace boredom and a seek for connection, stated Ms Carmmen Lee, lead social employee at youth organisation Trybe.

She added that many youth she works with create digital worlds the place they will turn into the particular person they need to be.

“They may not have a good relationship with their family, but online, they may be able to be a different persona,” Ms Lee stated. “This makes them feel needed, useful, and they want to continue to play that role.”

Mr S. B. Viknesan, principal counsellor on the National Addictions Management Service on the Institute of Mental Health, stated video games right this moment have gotten more and more immersive, with applied sciences comparable to augmented actuality and synthetic intelligence.

“You can have relationships in games, meet people,” he stated. “This can pull people in, especially those going through a stressful period in their life.”

Some video games additionally characteristic gambling-like parts, comparable to loot packing containers or in-game purchases, which might make them extra addictive.

For kids, telephones provide a fast escape in a rustic the place alternatives for play can appear restricted, with restrictions round open areas and schedules stuffed with tuition and extracurricular actions, Ms Lee stated.

Some like Mr Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, co-founder of Impart, imagine that gaming will not be all dangerous.

Many younger individuals use video games as an area to discover their id and join with friends, he stated.

“A lot of youth spaces nowadays have adults there, but what young people need are third spaces where they are seen… where they can connect with other young people,” Mr Narasimman stated, including that that is a part of Impart’s mission as it really works with youth dealing with adversities.

“Providing them positive childhood experiences in these spaces can be a buffer for adversities they face in their life,” he added.

Mr Calvin Leong, who oversees neighborhood programmes at Impart, stated third locations permit youth to be interested by their lives and behaviours – together with gaming – with out rapid judgment. Such areas, which may very well be on-line or offline, like gyms and gatherings over hobbies, assist construct social abilities, resilience and confidence.

Games assist youth with low vanity discover function, he stated. “(They) show them that they can learn, and have the potential to do more than what they think they can.”

Instead of demonising gaming, Mr Narasimman and Mr Leong distinguish between wholesome gaming – which focuses on mastery, teamwork and connection – and unhealthy gaming, which inspires gamers to maintain enjoying, usually by giving small, frequent rewards and excessive violence.

Minecraft is an instance of a “healthy game”, which Impart makes use of to achieve out to youth.

When gaming turns into problematic, Impart encourages youth to mirror on what the gaming expertise offers for them, mirroring the method utilized in third locations.

“We want to let youth know that it’s okay to be curious, it’s okay to want to explore,” Mr Leong stated. “We want our youth to find that spark in them again through these third spaces.”