청소년 게임 관련 경험이 일탈에 미치는 영향: 도박 심각성 인식과 도박 경험의 매개효과를 중심으로

초록

This study aims to examine the effect of adolescents’ game-related experiences on deviant behavior and to analyze whether problem gambling perception and gambling experience serve as mediating variables in this relationship. In recent years, digital gaming environments have become a primary leisure space for adolescents. However, concerns have been raised as these environments increasingly incorporate gambling-like features, such as loot boxes, virtual item trading, and sports betting-related elements, which may lead to gambling behaviors and subsequent deviant activities. This study goes beyond examining direct effects by structurally testing a parallel mediation model in which problem gambling perception and gambling experience function as key mediators between game-related experiences and deviant behavior. The analysis utilized data from the “2022 National Survey on Youth Gambling Problems” conducted by the Korea Center on Gambling Problems, with a total sample of 18,944 adolescents, including both in-school and out-of-school youth. The results indicate that game-related experiences have a significant positive effect on deviant behavior. In addition, game-related experiences were found to negatively influence problem gambling perception while positively affecting gambling experience. The mediation analysis revealed that game-related experiences influence deviant behavior through both a cognitive pathway, which weakens problem gambling perception, and a behavioral pathway, which increases gambling experience. These findings suggest that adolescents’ gaming experiences extend beyond mere leisure activities and may contribute to deviant behavior through gambling-related perceptions and behaviors. This study highlights the need for preventive policy approaches that move beyond reactive control strategies. Specifically, it emphasizes the importance of proactively managing gambling-like elements within gaming environments and enhancing adolescents’ awareness of gambling risks as part of comprehensive prevention efforts.

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