Playing mobile games for stress recovery purposes: A survey of Chinese adolescents

Abstract Mobile gaming has become a popular leisure activity for adolescent students in China. However, little is known about the use of mobile games while adolescents are stressed and exhausted. Drawing on the framework of recovery experiences, this study examined: (a) which mobile game cluster can elicit the highest recovery experiences for adolescent players? And (b) what drives them to play mobile games for stress recovery purposes? To answer these questions, a probability sample of 638 adolescents was recruited from 14 high schools in Shenzhen, China. Results showed that social mobile games characterized by high sociability but low control complexity had the highest potential to elicit recovery experiences, as it was positively related to relaxation, mastery, and control experience. The recovery dimension of psychological detachment and relaxation were found positively related to the use of mobile games for stress recovery purposes, whereas mastery and control experiences were not. Among all five adolescent stressors, only peer pressure was found positively correlated with the use of mobile games while adolescents were stressed and exhausted. Theoretical implications for understanding the relationships among four recovery dimensions and practical implications for promoting the positive effects of mobile gaming for adolescent players were discussed.

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