Examination of game addiction and social anxiety in online multiplayer and single-player digital games

The purpose of this study is to examine online multiplayer and single-player games in terms of digital game addiction and social anxiety. By reaching 375 adult participants through an online application, responses to the "Player Data Form," "Game Addiction Scale for Adults," and "Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale" were collected. Participants were divided into three groups: those who play multiplayer games, those who play single-player games, and those who play both types. The data, found to meet the test assumptions, were analyzed using MANOVA, Pearson correlation test, independent samples t-test, and regression analysis. As a result of the study, no statistically significant difference was found between the scales and interaction groups (p>.05). A weak positive correlation (r=0.415, p<.05) was found between digital game addiction and social anxiety scores. The simple regression analysis revealed that game addiction explained approximately 17.5% of the variance in social anxiety scores. When the findings were examined, it was concluded that although the type of game (single-player or multiplayer) does not make a difference in terms of game addiction and social anxiety scores, game addiction poses a risk for the development of social anxiety.