Distance Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Impact of Online Gaming Addiction on University Students' Performance

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced most universities worldwide to convert to distance education to ensure the educational process remains uninterrupted. The COVID-19 pandemic-related confinement orders have led students to be more engaged with online games. However, for a minority of students, excessive playing can become problematic and addictive. Few studies investigated the long-term effect of COVID-19 on game addiction among university students. The present study investigates the changes in online game addiction rates between May 2021 and May 2020 and aims at determining the impact of playing online games on students' academic performance. It also examines the demographic factors associated with video game addiction. A sample (n= 418) of students from one private university in UAE was randomly selected, and data were analyzed. The study has determined a reduction in online game addiction levels in the second year of pandemic compared with the first year. Gender and academic level were considered the most predominant features expressively related to online games addiction. It has also been found that digital game addiction is positively associated with academic performance.