The Influence of Video Games on Academic Performance among Students in Public and Private Schools: Exploring the Moderating Role of Parental Involvement

Abstract

This study examines the impact of video game usage on academic performance among high school students in public and private schools, with a particular focus on the moderating effect of parental involvement. The primary objectives were: (1) to assess the relationship between the duration and type of video games played and students' academic achievement, and (2) to explore how parental involvement (in terms of permission and encouragement) moderates this relationship. Employing a quantitative, cross-sectional design under the positivist paradigm, data were collected from 200 students (100 public and 100 private) in Sargodha using a structured Likert-scale questionnaire. Stratified random sampling ensured proportional representation. The analysis was conducted using SPSS v26 and the PROCESS macro (Model 1), which employed Pearson correlation, independent t-tests, and moderation analysis. Findings revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between gaming duration and academic performance (r = -0.275, p < 0.001). Public school students outperformed their private counterparts (t(198) = 2.45, p = 0.015). Moderation analysis showed that high parental involvement buffered the negative impact of video games on academic outcomes (interaction B = 0.1654, p = 0.0005). These findings underscore the importance of parental monitoring and suggest policy interventions such as structured digital literacy programs and parental guidance workshops to mitigate the adverse academic effects of unregulated gaming.