Effects of video games on adolescents and adults.

The present study compared a sample of American adolescents with a Spanish sample on a measure of video game addiction, the Problem Video Game Playing (PVP) survey developed in Spain. In addition, the study examined excessive video game playing and reported distress in social life, occupational activities, and school among high school students, college students, and adults. Samples taken from a large Eastern university, two suburban high schools, and an Internet survey were surveyed with an instrument developed by the authors and the PVP. Results show support for the PVP and a similarity between the Spanish and American samples but not for relationships between the PVP and assessments of distress in areas of daily functioning.