– December 23rd, the publication of the ‘2020-2024 Game User Research Commentary’, which summarizes the research results.
– Explaining the relationship between games and health from a public perspective based on five years of panel and clinical medical group research.
– Propose a culture of proper gaming usage for youth and their guardians and a shift in social awareness surrounding gaming.
On December 23, the Korea Creative Content Agency (Acting President Yoo Hyeon-seok, hereinafter referred to as KOCCA) published the ‘2020-2024 Game User Research Commentary’, which summarizes the main results of the game user panel study and game user clinical medicine cohort study conducted over a five-year period from 2020 to 2024 in a way that is accessible to the public.
This guide, amid ongoing discussions about listing gaming disorder as a disease, aims to correct negative perceptions surrounding the relationship between gaming and health and help the public understand gaming culture based on scientific evidence. Drawing on previous research, it explains that gaming does not directly lead to gaming disorder and that there is insufficient scientific evidence to support its listing. It also offers practical strategies for fostering healthy gaming habits.
◆ The limitations of a uniform perception of addiction are revealed by confirming that the impact of games varies depending on individual characteristics.
This guide focuses specifically on “popularizing specialized research,” providing at-a-glance guidance and restructuring it with visual aids to ensure concise and accurate presentation of specialized terminology, academic information, and research data. Key points are systematically organized to effectively convey the research’s key findings and meaningful results to the public.
This commentary is composed of content that can be easily understood by both youth and guardians, such as ‘An overview and key guide to help with basic understanding of game users’, ‘Misunderstandings and truths about games’, and ‘A paradigm shift toward game users’.
In particular, the data accumulated through panel studies demonstrates that the impact of games on mental health varies depending on factors such as age, gender, and usage time, conveying the message that we need to move beyond the uniform definition of gaming as “addiction.” Furthermore, beyond simply summarizing the research findings, the study examines the need for greater understanding and education of game users at home, in schools, and in society as a whole, highlighting the importance of shifting perceptions and fostering new perspectives on gamers.
KOCCA Acting Director Yoo Hyeon-seok said, “Based on the scientific research results accumulated over the past five years, we have created an opportunity to recognize games as a culture that should be understood from a balanced perspective,” and added, “I hope that this guidebook will help youth and their guardians form a proper usage culture together and contribute to narrowing the generational gap in perception surrounding games.”
For more detailed information, please refer to the ‘2020-2024 Game User Research Commentary’ in the ‘Content Knowledge’ menu on the KOCCA website (www.kocca.kr).
