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Gaming, Gender, and Time: Who Makes Time to Play?

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Abstract

This study of 276 US undergraduate students from a large Midwestern university provides the first research evidence of a relationship between leisure time availability and how much digital games are played. College students with less free time were less likely to spend time playing games. The findings suggest one reason women play fewer games than men is because they are required to fulfill more obligatory activities, leaving them less available leisure time, which in turn makes them less likely to “make” time for games. It was found that not only do women report having less free time than men, but their free time is available in smaller chunks, and they play digital games for shorter periods of time than men.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, Michigan State University, 409 Communication Arts & Sciences, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Jillian Winn & Carrie Heeter

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  1. Jillian Winn
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  2. Carrie Heeter
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Correspondence to Jillian Winn.

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Winn, J., Heeter, C. Gaming, Gender, and Time: Who Makes Time to Play?. Sex Roles 61, 1–13 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-009-9595-7

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