A Social Learning Perspective of Gambling Behavior among College Students
Learning about gambling behavior among college students offers an opportunity to learn more about them. The proportion of undergraduate students who gamble is on the rise as well as their level of involvement in the gambling industry. This post provides a social learning perspective of gambling behavior among college students and how it is shaped. Understanding why students gamble allows one to understand more about their gambling behavior. The following need to be considered when discussing gambling behavior among college students.
- Frequency
With online gambling options easily available these days, the frequency of gambling behavior has skyrocketed. Before students even enter college, they tend to be already addicted to gambling. Hence, it is common for some college students to be heavy gamblers by the time they first enter college.
Moreover, the stress that comes with studying at a college also increases the student’s frequency to gamble. Many students view gambling as a way to blow off steam. However, this creates a cycle where students find themselves being heavily addicted to gambling and it simply becomes impossible for them to slow down or quit.
- Scope
Media shows a glamorous depiction of gambling. It has created an environment where students view gambling as their ticket to a life of happiness. However, what media misses is that most gamblers have serious mental issues and by the time they even win the lottery, they have put a lot on the line. The scope of gambling behavior has increased significantly in recent times. Social media stars show college students an easy and fun lifestyle where gambling is the shortcut to success. Hence, many students consider quitting college for a chance to win it big.
Some students seek student loans and end up wasting the money on their gambling addiction. The scope of gambling has become all-expanding. With the rise of the gambler lifestyle, many students aspire to become a high-profile gambler in the future. Gambling for entertainment has become the norm. Students on average gamble three times a month according to various studies.
- Expenditure
Gambling behavior can be easily measured by comparing the expenditure of students towards gambling. More and more college students are spending their savings on lottery tickets, betting, poker, and slot machines to boost their chances of winning a ton of money.
Some college students spend as much as 20 percent of their monthly expenditure on gambling, whereas, some even spend twice that amount. This is alarming for colleges. Although the employment status of students plays a huge role in their gambling behavior, both employed and unemployed college students spend a staggering amount of money on gambling.
What Colleges and Parents Can Do?
This post provides an insight into the gambling behavior of college students. Colleges and parents need to do a lot more to understand students’ gambling behavior. Policies need to be adopted to help students deal with gambling addiction. There should be an open policy where students should feel safe to get the help they need.
Sources for this article:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40405-017-0022-7
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10413200802056685