Game Quitters

partnership

Thanks for signing up to participate in the study of the 90 Day “No Gaming” Detox! This study is a partnership between Game Quitters and Dr. Daniel King from The University of Adelaide, and it will contribute to the current research on video game addiction.

Thank you for supporting the community in this way. By participating you are at the forefront of video game addiction research and that’s something to be proud of!

Below you will find information about the study and resources to help, but if you’re ready to get started, begin by completing your first survey:

Important: You must be 18 or older to participate and use a real email address when you submit your answers. Otherwise we will not be able to use your information in the study or be able to follow-up with the other surveys.

Description of the study:

This study aims to explore an unresolved area in gaming research: what happens when people stop playing or take a break from video-gaming? This study will examine changes in people’s wellbeing and quality of life, emotions and thoughts about gaming before and during a 90-day “break from gaming” period.

Anybody aged 18 years or older and who currently engages in video-gaming is invited to participate in the study.

What will I be asked to do?

Participation in the study will involve taking a 90-day break from video-gaming as part of the Game Quitters challenge. Information obtained from the questionnaires will allow researchers to track changes in people’s digital media use, mood, well-being, social activity, and thoughts and feelings about video-gaming.

You will be sent instructions for completing the study via the email address that you used to first contact the researchers, including reminders and web-links for the online questionnaires. This email address will also be used to provide further study information (if needed), and ensure that your questionnaire responses are kept together.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will I be identifiable by being involved in this study?

No identifying information will be sought from participants, and participants will NOT BE identified in any publications resulting from this research.

Ethics of this study:

This project has received ethics approval from the University of Adelaide Human Research Ethics Subcommittee (project no: 16/68).

Participation in this study is entirely voluntary and you are free to withdraw at any time.

Although this study is not expected to cause harm to participants, previous research has indicated that ceasing video-gaming may be associated with negative emotional states, including restlessness, irritability, and sadness. In the event that you experience any anxiety, depression or discomfort during this study, we urge that you seek help from one of the following services in Australia:

Beyond Blue (24 hour telephone support counselling)
Phone: 1300 22 4636

Lifeline Australia (24 hour telephone crisis support counselling)
Phone: 13 11 14

Outside of Australia, in the event that you believe your video-gaming has become problematic, help is available from your GP and from organizations such as Online Gamers Anonymous (https://www.olganon.org/).

Researcher contact information:

If you have any further questions about the study, are seeking clarification at any point during the study, or wish to raise a concern or complaint about the study, please contact the researchers below:

Investigators:

Dr Daniel King
School of Psychology
The University of Adelaide
Email: [email protected]

Cam Adair
Game Quitters
Founder, Game Quitters
Email: [email protected]

If you wish to discuss with an independent person matters related to:

making a complaint, or

raising concerns on the conduct of the project, or

the University policy on research involving human participants, or

your rights as a participant,

Contact Linley Denson, Deputy Convenor, the School of Psychology Human Research Ethics Committee on phone (08) 8313 5693 or by email.

Please retain a copy of this information sheet for future reference

Additional resources:

To successfully quit gaming, follow these steps:

Step 1: Read this article on How To Quit Playing Video Games FOREVER.

Step 2: Uninstall and delete your games.

Watch this video for more info on why that’s important.

These can also help:

Step 3: Choose new activities: Download 60+ New Hobby Ideas

Make sure you fulfill these three areas with new hobbies:

Mentally Engaging Activity: something that is achievement/skill/goal based.
Resting Activity (ideas): something to do at home when you’re tired and/or bored.
Social Activity: something to help you make new friends outside of games.

Step 4: Setup a daily schedule:

I use Google Calendar and like something that syncs across devices, but experiment and use what works best for you. That could be paper and pen or digital calendar. Try and be out of the house as much as possible where your temptations will be the lowest. The more you can plan ahead with your day, the less likely you will be at home and bored, which is when you’ll want to game.

Step 5: Setup your badge:

It helps to see the counter increasing each day (this is called the Seinfeld method) and makes it easier for others to support you based on the general place you are at in your journey. When I see someone who’s around 5 days it helps me understand what they might potentially be going through, compared to someone who’s at 60+ days.

Step 6: Sign-up and select an accountability partner

To do this sign-up on the Game Quitters Forum and post a thread here.

Step 7: Start a daily journal

You can create your journal here. Having a daily journal helps you to process your experience and gain the support of others on the same journey as you.

Step 8: Subscribe to Game Quitters on YouTube and watch over 70+ videos

If you follow the eight steps above you will setup your recovery for success. Remember, this might not be easy but it’s worth it. If you’re looking for extra support during your detox, purchase Respawn: The Ultimate Guide to Quit Playing Video Games.

It’s been five days since I stopped playing video games completely and I never intend to go back! It can be super hard at times, so Respawn and your videos are proving to be invaluable for guiding me in the right direction. – Jay M.

Reading Respawn was the best decision I have made in my life, honestly. – David

Good luck on your detox and let me know how I can help at all,