The effects of video games on communication and social interaction : a study on Emirati university students

Abstract EN

This study examines the relationship between playing video games, communication and social interaction among Emirati university students, as several studies (Oei & Patterson, 2014) have shown that there is a real impact of video games on peoples' interactions as social beings.

The results of the study confirmed that 63.9% of the participants use video games on a daily basis, with 23.3% of them allocating two hours per day.

Besides, 90.7% of the respondents prefer to play with their friends; which constitutes a form of communication and social interaction.

However, 41.67% of the respondents confirmed that video games affect their family relationships, 36.45% affect their relationships with friends, 34.25% enable them to escape from their social reality, 43.59% increase their social isolation, and 39.9% prefer to play alone.

This highlights the negative impact of video games on communication and social interaction.