Off the hook: Exploring reasons for quitting playing online games in China

China is now one of the biggest online game markets, and the games are seen as both an economic opportunity and a social threat, especially to the young. I investigated the nature of, reasons for, and influences of online game quitting in China with 176 participants selected using deviant case sampling. I examined the relationships between the attitudes of those who were quitting playing toward online games, their perception of media portrayal of online games, family pressure, peer influence, functional alternatives, self-esteem, loneliness, online game quitting, and satisfaction with life after quitting. Results showed that the more negatively the participants felt about online games, the more likely they were to quit, and perception of peers’ negative attitude toward online gaming, perception of alternatives, and lower income were significant predictors of game quitting. These findings could help policy makers rethink healthy gaming and antiaddiction strategies.