The purpose of this study was to gain a clearer understanding of the pattern of video game and internet use among college
students and to examine how electronic leisure was related to risk behaviors (i.e., drinking, drug use, sex), perceptions
of the self (i.e., self worth and social acceptance), and relationships with others (i.e., relationship quality with parents
and friends). Participants included 813 undergraduate students (500 young women, 313 young men,
M age = 20, SD = 1.87) who were mainly European American (79%), unmarried (100%) and living outside their parents’ home (90%).
Results suggested that (a) video game use was linked to negative outcomes for men and women, (b) different patterns of video
game and internet use existed for men and women and (c) there were different relations to risk behaviors, feelings about the
self, and relationship quality based on the type of internet use, and based on gender. The discussion focuses on the implications
of electronic leisure on the overall health and development of young people as they transition to adulthood.
Keywords Video games - Internet use - Emerging adults