The relationship between digital game playing behaviors and children's social competence and behavioral development

This study, which aims to determine the relationship between digital game playing behaviors and children's social competence and behavioral development, used the relational screening model. The study was conducted with parents of children aged 3-7 who attend private and public institutions in Istanbul in the 2024-2025 academic year. 324 parents participated in the study voluntarily. This study, based on the relational screening model, utilized demographic information, the Effects of Digital Games at an Early Age Scale, and the Social Competence and Behavior Assessment-30 Scale data collection tools to examine the relationship between digital game playing behaviors and children's social competence and behavioral development. The data obtained in the study were analyzed using the SPSS for Windows program. In the evaluation of the data, the data distribution was first examined, and it was determined that the data exhibited a normal distribution. Then, frequency and percentage analysis were conducted regarding the time the children in the study group played digital games in a day and the types of games they played in the digital environment. The relationship between digital game playing behaviors and children's social competence and behavioral development was tested with Pearson correlation analysis. Independent groups t-test was used to determine whether the effects of digital games and social competences of children differed by gender. One-way variance analysis was used to test whether there were differences in the variables of children's age group, number of siblings, parental age group, parental education status, family income level and duration of children playing digital games. According to the variance analysis, Tukey and Tamhane Tests were selected according to the homogeneous distribution status to determine which groups the difference was between for the variables that were significantly different between the groups. The statistical significance level was accepted as 0.05 in the entire study. It was analyzed whether the mean scores of the Scale of the Effects of Digital Games at Early Ages of Children differed according to the education level of the parents, and it was determined that there was a significant difference in the variable of parents' education level. When the social competence and behaviors of digital games were examined according to the education level of the parent, it was revealed that the average score of the children of primary school graduate families was significantly lower than the children of high school, undergraduate and postgraduate graduate families. It was revealed that the average score of the children of middle school graduate families was significantly lower than the average score of the children of high school and undergraduate graduate families. This result also affects the family's approach to children as their education level increases. When the differences in digital game playing behaviors of children according to variables such as their social competence and behavioral development, age, gender, and sibling status are examined, it is shown that children in the 6-year-old group have higher scores in the physical sub-dimensions compared to the 4-5-year-old group. In addition, it was determined that children with two siblings scored lower in the fun and learning sub-dimensions, but higher in the physical, social and emotional dimensions. In terms of gender, it was observed that girls scored higher than boys in the learning sub-dimension, while boys scored higher in the physical, social and emotional dimensions. In the Social Competence and Behavior Assessment-30 Scale, it was found that the number of siblings and gender influenced behavioral and emotional development, including social competence, anger-aggression, and anxiety-introversion. This research reveals important findings that show how the relationship between digital game playing behaviors and children's social competence and behavioral development reaches results. It is recommended to follow children's play time and encourage them to use technology in healthy and appropriate conditions, to contribute to the development of excessive and intensive use of digital games, their negative effects, game preferences and social skills. Educational institutions, parents, and educators can raise awareness and provide guidance regarding these suggestions. For future studies in the field, it is recommended to reach children in different age groups and more parents, and to expand the scope of the research by investigating different demographic characteristics. Keywords: Preschool Period, Digital Game, Social Competence, Child, Behavior