A survey from Brigham Young University just correlated online gaming addiction with marital dissatisfaction. The study was published this February 15 in the Journal of Leisure Research.
The study aims to determine the effects of online gaming on marriage. The researchers surveyed 349 couples where at least one plays an MMORPG. The average age of the respondents is 33 and the average length of marriage is 7 years. Most of the gamer respondents are male though there is also a significant number of female gamers.
The results revealed that most couples that have a spouse that's addicted to playing online games are not satisfied with their marriage and that they wish that they would spend more time with their family. However, the researchers stated that the dispute between these couples is not caused by the amount of time spent in gaming but the arguments that result from it. Unsurprisingly, the research also revealed that couples who play together are more satisfied with their marriage.
Here are some facts that the study revealed:
- 75% of "gaming widows" stated that gaming affected their marriage 'indirectly'
- 65+% of "gaming widows" fight with their partner over gaming
- 74% of couples who play together are more satisfied with their marriage
- 22 hours is the average number of hours per week that MMO gamers play
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