The light, the dark, and everything else: making sense of young people's digital gaming
Whether gaming has a beneficial or detrimental effect on young people's lives is a defining feature in both the research and the public discussion of youth digital gaming. In this qualitative study, we draw from a thematic analysis of the experiences of 180 game players in Finland, aged 15–25 y...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1164992/full |
| _version_ | 1827926080597524480 |
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| author | Mikko Meriläinen Maria Ruotsalainen |
| author_facet | Mikko Meriläinen Maria Ruotsalainen |
| author_sort | Mikko Meriläinen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Whether gaming has a beneficial or detrimental effect on young people's lives is a defining feature in both the research and the public discussion of youth digital gaming. In this qualitative study, we draw from a thematic analysis of the experiences of 180 game players in Finland, aged 15–25 years. Utilizing the digital gaming relationship (DGR) theory, we explore how different aspects of gaming actualize in their lives, and how different features of gaming culture participation come together to form their experience. We contend that framing gaming as a balancing act between beneficial and detrimental obscures much of the complexity of young people's gaming, reinforces a partially false dichotomy, and overlooks young people's agency. Based on our results, we suggest alternative approaches that help reduce and avoid these problems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T05:33:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3261463a44ca458d84069252803bf926 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T05:33:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-3261463a44ca458d84069252803bf9262023-06-14T13:42:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-06-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.11649921164992The light, the dark, and everything else: making sense of young people's digital gamingMikko Meriläinen0Maria Ruotsalainen1Game Research Lab, Tampere University, Tampere, FinlandDepartment of Music, Art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FinlandWhether gaming has a beneficial or detrimental effect on young people's lives is a defining feature in both the research and the public discussion of youth digital gaming. In this qualitative study, we draw from a thematic analysis of the experiences of 180 game players in Finland, aged 15–25 years. Utilizing the digital gaming relationship (DGR) theory, we explore how different aspects of gaming actualize in their lives, and how different features of gaming culture participation come together to form their experience. We contend that framing gaming as a balancing act between beneficial and detrimental obscures much of the complexity of young people's gaming, reinforces a partially false dichotomy, and overlooks young people's agency. Based on our results, we suggest alternative approaches that help reduce and avoid these problems.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1164992/fulldigital gaming relationshipyoung peopledigital gamingsocial worldseveryday lifetransmedia |
| spellingShingle | Mikko Meriläinen Maria Ruotsalainen The light, the dark, and everything else: making sense of young people's digital gaming Frontiers in Psychology digital gaming relationship young people digital gaming social worlds everyday life transmedia |
| title | The light, the dark, and everything else: making sense of young people's digital gaming |
| title_full | The light, the dark, and everything else: making sense of young people's digital gaming |
| title_fullStr | The light, the dark, and everything else: making sense of young people's digital gaming |
| title_full_unstemmed | The light, the dark, and everything else: making sense of young people's digital gaming |
| title_short | The light, the dark, and everything else: making sense of young people's digital gaming |
| title_sort | light the dark and everything else making sense of young people s digital gaming |
| topic | digital gaming relationship young people digital gaming social worlds everyday life transmedia |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1164992/full |
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