The Gamers’ Phenomenon among Saudi Young Population as an Active Audience

Abstract

This thesis examined the video game phenomenon among Saudi youth, focusing on behaviours related to the risk of these games by shedding light on several related variables. Thus, this thesis conducted 5 studies that applied cross-sectional and longitudinal methods. The participants in all studies were 1,007 Saudi youth between 18-35 years who responded to online surveys on spending money on in-games, mental health problems, social loneliness, loneliness, well-being, resilience, personality traits, social support, consideration of future consequences, alienated family relationships, social interactions and being a famous gamer. Study 1 developed the Spending Money On In-Game Content (SMOIGC) Scale and showed the role of SMOIGC in predicting anxiety and depression. Study 2 examined the role of the desire to be a famous gamer and showed that the desire to be a famous gamer predicted the consideration of immediate and future consequences. Study 3 examined the roles of wellbeing and loneliness in the prediction of the length of playing video games. The results indicated that well-being and social loneliness did not predict the length of playing video games. Study 4 examined the roles of depression, anxiety, loneliness and resilience in predicting the length of playing video games during the pandemic lockdown. Resilience at Time 1 did not significantly predict length of playing video games at Time 2, after controlling for loneliness, anxiety, depression, length of playing video games, and demographic variables at Time 1. Finally, study 5 developed the SIUDS to assess gamers’ social interactions and investigate the roles of family relationships and social support in predicting social interactions. The results show, for the first time among Saudi youth, how several modern interactions with video gaming align with several psychological outcomes.