The Effect of Emotional Regulation Skills on Digital Game Addiction in Children Aged 8- 10 in Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background Digital game addiction is an emerging concern in children, with emotional regulation skills identified as a potential protective factor. But, evidence for younger school-aged children is limited. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of emotional regulation skills on digital game addiction in children aged 8–10 in Türkiye. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional design was used with 258 third- and fourth-grade students from a public primary school in Istanbul. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Digital Game Addiction Scale for Children, and the Emotion Regulation Scale for Children – Self-Report Form. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, t-tests, ANOVA, and binary logistic regression. Results Lower regulation of anger and excitement was significantly associated with higher levels of digital game addiction. Logistic regression analysis indicated that both anger (OR = 0.87, p < .001) and excitement (OR = 0.83, p = .003) were significant negative predictors of addiction risk. Children who used technology for 3–4 hours per day had significantly greater odds of addiction compared to non-users (OR = 9.26, p = .006). The overall model explained 27.9% of the variance. Conclusions Emotion regulation skills—particularly the ability to manage anger and excitement—play a critical role in digital game addiction among children. Professionals working with children should prioritize early screening for emotional regulation difficulties and consider implementing interventions, such as therapeutic play, to promote adaptive emotional expression. Strengthening these skills may enhance social adaptation and reduce the likelihood of addictive gaming behaviors.