Abstract

This study aimed to explore subgroups of problematic game use (PGU) and problematic smartphone use (PSU) among children and adolescents and to examine differences in usage behaviors and demographic factors across these subgroups. Data were collected from 10,837 children and adolescents (5,680 males and 5,157 females) in South Korea. A Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was conducted. The analysis identified the following five distinct subgroups based on symptom patterns of PGU and PSU: "High-risk with reduced interest group", "PSU-only moderate-risk group", "Moderate-risk with reduced interest Group", "Moderate-risk with control failure group", and "Low-risk group". The examination of predictor variables across subgroups revealed that younger age was a significant predictor of all risk groups, while gender, game and smartphone usage time, video watching time, and the diversity of smartphone usage were significant predictors that differentiated risk groups. This study contributes to the understanding of PGU and PSU by taking an integrated approach while also considering the heterogeneity within PGU and PSU. Based on its findings, this study provides insights into effective screening and intervention strategies for problematic game and smartphone use among children and adolescents. Implications for future research are also discussed.