ReportCESA – Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association
Longitudinal Survey Report on Gaming Disorder: Japan
1 Jan 20249 pages~6 min full read
Increased weekly gaming hours serve as a significant predictor for higher gaming disorder scores, with standardized coefficients of .12 for elementary students and .11 for middle-school students.
See it on page 2Gaming hours and daily-life problems, such as disruptions to sleep and meals, create a negative feedback loop where each factor mutually reinforces the other.
See it on page 2Gaming disorder symptoms do not appear to influence or increase future weekly play time, suggesting that excessive play is the primary driver of disorder rather than a consequence of it.
See it on page 2The study tracked 254 total students—147 elementary and 107 middle-schoolers—who played games at least once per week across two survey waves between late 2022 and early 2024.
See it on page 1Research methodology utilized the ICD-11-based Gaming Disorder Test and a custom scale to measure the impact of household rules, specifically 'allowed-time' limits and 'prohibited-time' restrictions.
See it on page 3The study investigates how household rules governing video‑game use influence weekly play time and the emergence of gaming disorder among Japanese elementary and middle‑school students. By tracking participants over two survey waves—late 2022 to early 2023 and late 2023 to early 2024—the research tests whether specifying permissible gaming periods or prohibiting certain times can curb excessive play and related daily‑life problems.
A longitudinal sample was drawn from four elementary schools and four middle schools in Tokyo and Fukuoka, yielding 243 elementary and 201 middle‑school respondents after excluding esports players. Analyses focused on the 147 elementary and 107 middle‑school students who reported gaming at least once per week across both waves. Weekly gaming hours were calculated from weekday and weekend use, while gaming disorder was measured with the ICD‑11‑based Gaming Disorder Test and a custom scale assessing disruptions to sleep, meals, and routine. The presence of two rule types—“allowed‑time” (e.g., one hour per day) and “prohibited‑time” (e.g., no gaming after midnight)—was recorded at each wave and examined using cross‑lagged models and mixed‑design ANOVAs.
Results show that higher weekly gaming hours predict later increases in gaming‑disorder scores for both age groups (standardized coefficients .12 for elementary and .11 for middle‑school students), while disorder does not feed back into later play time. Gaming hours and daily‑life problems mutually reinforce each other, forming a negative feedback
