Association Between Children’s Game Use Duration and Parental Rule Setting

A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This study examined the association between the presence and clarity of household rules and actual game use time among 1,080 elementary and junior high school students aged 6–15 years. The results showed that children exposed to ambiguous household rules tended to spend longer time gaming. Discrepancies were observed between child- and parentreported game use times; in households with clearly defined rules, children reported longer game use times than those reported by parents, suggesting that parents may perceive game use as being effectively regulated through rule setting.