Abstract
This study is an investigation of children's video and computer games usage. The respondents included 286 third and fourth grade children, of whom 152 were boys and 134 were girls. The participants were selected from a pair of elementary schools in Seoul. The instruments used consisted of children's self-reported computer game use and their evaluations of the video and computer games. I employed frequencies, percentiles, means, Chi-squares, 1-tests, one-way ANOVA, and the Scheffe Test. Ninety-five percent of the children interviewed reported having played video and computer games. Among these children, most reported that they played the games 2 to 3 times per week for 112 to 1 hour each time. The most common reasons given for playing was 'fun'. The most popularly played games included themes of action, adventure, violence, and competition. There was a significant gender difference in playing and usage. Boys played games longer than the girls. Boys played the games with their friends while the girls played the games with their siblings. Children who played these games longer perceived themselves to be faster, more attentive, and more stable than children who played for a shorter period of time.