Three-quarters of spouses whose partners play online games say that gaming takes away from their marriage and lowers their overall marital satisfaction, researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah find.
?It?s not just a random occurrence that a few couples are dealing with. Based on the large number of married gamers ? 36 percent of multi-player online role-playing gamers report being married ? we can assume this is a widespread issue,? says study co-author Neil Lundberg, Ph.D.
In most relationships, however, husbands are more likely to let games draw them away from their marriages than wives are. In 84 percent of single-gamer marriages, the husbands is the one who games, and even in relationships where both partners play, husbands usually play longer, the researchers find.
On the other hand, in 76 percent of marriages where both partners play, spouses say gaming has a positive effect. This is especially true if husbands and wives? online characters interact with each other often in the digital space.
?Not all video games are bad,? says lead author Michelle Ahlstrom. ?Some are fun leisure pursuits that when played together may strengthen your relationships with others. With any type of gaming, consider the content of the game. Consider what you are doing in the game, how much time it is taking, how it is affecting you, your schooling, work, sleep, body and especially how it is affecting your spouse and marital relationship.?
The study appears in the Feb. 15, 2012 issue of the Journal of Leisure Research.
Reader Question: Has gaming ever been a problem in your relationship??
(Photo ? Adactio via Flikr)
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