Abstract
Objectives: This study was conducted to identify the computer game usage of elementary school children and their needs for education on the prevention of computer game addiction. Methods: The subjects of this study were 455 elementary school children. The data were collected from an open and structured questionnaire on the subjects' computer game usage and their needs for education on the prevention of computer game addiction. Results: The boys played computer games more than the girls. There were statistical differences in the durations of the computer game use, the main locations of the computer games they played, the times of the day when they used computers, the times of the day when they played computer games, the number of times in a week they visited Internet cafes, what motivated them to play computer games, and their partners in playing computer games according to gender. From an analysis of 714 statements of the subjects with respect to their need to be educated on computer game addiction prevention, six domains and 19 themes were drawn. The six main domains identified were Definition & Status, Etiology & Process, Influences, Prevention, Diagnosis & Coping with Computer Game Addiction, and General Information on Computer Games. This study results revealed that elementary school children have to be comprehensively educated on how to prevent computer game addiction. Conclusion: A computer game addiction prevention program concerning these themes and domains must be developed. A study should also be conducted to identify the educational needs of parents of elementary school children on computer game addiction prevention.
