ASR: CMU Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (2023) Vol.10 No.1 1 Published online: September 27, 2022 ASR. 2023. 10(2): e2023015 University Students’ Internet Addiction and the Relationship Between Online Gaming and Family Function in Karachi, Pakistan Mubashir Zafar Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail: mubash88@yahoo.com https://doi.org/10.12982/CMUJASR.2023.015 Editor: Yos Santasombat, Chiang Mai University, Thailand Article history: Received: July 4, 2022; Revised: September 21, 2022; Accepted: September 26, 2022. ABSTRACT Internet addiction in the student population is a chronic social issue in Pakistan. Parental supervision is required to counter the issue. This study identifies an association between online gaming disorder and family functions by studying university students in Karachi, Pakistan. It is a cross-sectional study and 350 university students were selected through a multi-stage stratified sampling technique. A validated and structured questionnaire assessed family functioning and internet addiction. Data was analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression to identify associations between family function and online gaming disorders. In total, 66 per cent of students were found to be addicted to videogames and 39 per cent of students were deficient in their role in the family. The decreased problem solving skills (Adjusted Odd Ratio AOR 2.02, 95 per cent CI 1.35-5.96, p-value 0.002), decreased roles in the family (AOR 2.99, 95 per cent CI 1.23-5.75, p-value 0.004) and bad communication skills (AOR 0.91, 95 per cent CI 0.59-2.94, p-value 0.567) were associated with severe online gaming disorder. This study reveals a strong association between disrupted family functions and internet addiction and provides new evidence on the complex interaction between individuals and interpersonal risk factors involved in addiction among young adults. Keywords: Games, Family, Internet Addiction, Students, University. INTRODUCTION Online gaming during leisure time is common for adolescents (Anderson et al., 2017). It is also one of the most important leisure activities for students (Zhai et al., 2019). Different studies have found a strong relationship between online gaming and psychological disorders that lead to disruptions in the family (Maksymova et al., 2021). Among internet users, students are the riskiest group in society (Arnett, 2000). Pakistan is a country with high internet addiction among its population. In one study,