The Effect on Loneliness of Personal Networks in Online Games

Abstract

This study examined the effect of the size and contention of personal networks formed in online games, compared with offline personal networks. At first, we analyzed the effect of social skill, which affects the size of offline social networks, on the size of personal networks formed in online games. As a result, social skill affected the size of personal networks formed online. Next, we analyzed the effect of the size and contention of personal networks formed in online games. Both the size and contention of personal networks formed in online games reduced loneliness. In addition, contention reduced loneliness more than size. Then we compared the effect of personal networks formed in online games with offline personal networks. For the effect of the size there was no difference between them, however about contention, offline personal networks had more effect. The size of offline personal networks correlated with the size of personal networks formed online.