Real-Time Data Show Adolescent Gaming Is Often a Solitary Leisure Activity and Increases Positive Affect

Although digital gaming is a widespread leisure activity among adolescents, current perspectives, largely informed by cross-sectional studies, often portray it as a risk factor for psychosocial problems. Yet little is known about how gaming unfolds in adolescents’ daily lives, including its situational contexts, motivations, and real-time emotional impact. In this study, 211 adolescents (aged 16–19 years; 69% female) completed experience sampling surveys five times daily over 14 days to examine their digital gaming behavior, motivations, and moment-to-moment associations with affective well-being. The data show that more male than female adolescents reported gaming, with on average 7.8 gaming sessions (0.56 per day). Participants reported gaming mostly alone or with known peers, more in the evenings than in the mornings, and primarily for recreational purposes. Within-person analyses revealed that moments following gaming were associated with increased positive affect, with no significant link to negative affect. These findings challenge concerns about gaming’s negative mental health impacts and suggest that, for many adolescents, gaming can serve as a healthy and enjoyable leisure activity that temporarily boosts mood. Future research using larger samples and denser time-series data may better capture how gaming affects adolescents differently across individuals and contexts.