Analysis of the coexistence of gaming and viewing activities in Twitch users and their relationship with pathological gaming: a multilayer perceptron approach

Abstract

The enormous expansion of the video game sector, driven by the emergence of live video game streaming platforms and the professionalisation of this hobby through e-sports, has spurred interest in research on the relationships with potential adverse effects derived from cumulative use. This study explores the co-occurrence of the consumption and viewing of video games, based on an analysis of the motivations for using these services, the perceived positive uses, and the gamer profile. To that end, a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network is developed and tested on a sample of 970 video game users. The results show that the variables with a significant influence on pathological gaming are the motivation of a sense of belonging to the different platforms, as well as the positive uses relating to making friends and the possibility of making this hobby a profession. Furthermore, the individual effects of each of the variables have been estimated. The results indicate that the social component linked to the positive perception of making new friends and the self-perceived level as a gamer have been identified as possible predictors, when it comes to a clinical assessment of the adverse effects. Conversely, the variables age and following specific streamers are found to play a role in reducing potential negative effects.

It’s not just about how long you play. Indirect gaming involvement and genre preferences in predicting gaming disorder risk: evidence from preregistered studies

“…Moreover, they emphasize the importance of considering various forms of gaming involvement when assessing GD risk. Our findings are in line with previous research focused on individual components of IGI: Cabreza-Ramirez et al ( 14 ) showed that a feeling of belonging to the Twitch community (a service mainly focused on video game streaming) plays an important role in the model of pathological game use; Ortiz de Gortari et al showed that intrusive thoughts regarding gaming are correlated with GD ( 16 ). Interestingly, Yildiz Durak et al ( 17 ) showed that time spent watching gaming videos on Twitch is correlated with GD, whereas time spent watching gaming streams on unspecified platforms or gaming itself is not linked to GD.…”

“…In consequence, they may spend a great percentage of their time on such activities, ultimately leading them to GD. As shown by Cabeza-Ramirez and colleagues ( 14 ), DGI is associated with IGI (in this case: time spent watching game-related streams), and, as these authors suggest, depending on the prioritization of each activity, the effects on GD may vary. Thus, both DGI and IGI should be explored.…”

“…Therefore, limiting contemporary research to only asking participants about “the number of hours spent playing video games per week” ( 7 , p. 6) or “weekly time spent gaming” ( 9 , p. 2) may lead to incomplete results. Studies on some of the aforementioned activities have recently been published by Cabreza-Ramirez et al ( 14 , 15 ), Ortiz de Gortari and Panagiotidi ( 16 ), and Yildiz Durak et al ( 17 ); however, the results seem to be mixed.…”

“…While Ortiz de Gortari and Panagiotidi’s ( 16 ) study revealed that intrusive gaming thoughts may be correlated with GD, relations between GD and time spent watching game-related content on streaming platforms (e.g., Twitch) appear to be more complicated. Cabreza-Ramirez et al ( 14 ) showed that perceived positive uses of streaming platforms (e.g., making friends) and motivations for watching content on streaming platforms (e.g., sense of belonging) may be connected to key components of pathological game use. At the same time, no direct connection between time spent watching streams and pathological game use was detected.…”

Exploring the association between Twitch use and well-being.

“…Indeed, psychological distress is sometimes associated with addictive use of video games but is unrelated to frequent use (Király, Tóth, et al, 2017). Similarly, Twitch viewing time appears to be unrelated to negative outcomes (e.g., overspending, escapism; Cabeza-Ramírez, Rey-Carmona, et al, 2022). Study 2 seeks further evidence for this distinction.…”