Youth Socialization online and offline: implications for health and wellbeing

视频游戏越来越受欢迎，全球估计有30亿游戏玩家（Clement，2022），由于云游戏，视频游戏比以往任何时候都更容易获得。然而，随着数字设备变得越来越无所不在，并且越来越多地取代面对面的互动（哈雷，2022），我们必须考虑视频游戏如何影响幸福和社会功能。考虑全球幸福感尤为重要，因为大多数关于这一问题的研究似乎只关注心理幸福感，不考虑社交圈，就业或财务等对幸福感的外部影响。对幸福感的影响过去的文献表明，游戏对幸福感有整体积极的影响。在对神经型玩家的研究中，视频游戏对认知刺激，情绪调节和生活质量产生了积极影响（巴尔& Copeland-Stewart，2021; Zhao，2022）。负面影响围绕着攻击性增加（Olejarnik和Romano，2023年）和线下社会资本减少（Tushya等人，2023年）。对社会功能的影响关于社会功能，游戏是一种允许社会互动的工具。这给神经型玩家带来了积极的影响（Zhao，2022），他们报告社交是游戏的动机之一（约翰逊等人，2013年）。只有在线互动不取代离线互动，才能观察到积极的影响（哈雷，2022）。差距：有什么可以发现的？然而，我们目前对视频游戏对社会功能和福祉的影响的理解存在问题。最近的研究是在冠状病毒大流行期间进行的，当时电子游戏的参与度最高，超过了大流行前的水平。没有对在线和离线领域的不同行为进行调查。最后，没有调查考虑对自闭症和神经型球员的差异影响。根据以下差距，我们形成了我们想要解决的研究问题：RQ 1：长期视频游戏对健康有什么影响？长期的视频游戏对离线和在线社交功能有什么影响？RQ 3：可以提供哪些建议和干预措施来促进电子游戏的积极影响和针对电子游戏的负面影响？计划：我们如何回答这些问题？为了回答上述研究问题，我们为博士论文设计了一个四阶段计划：第一阶段：系统回顾电子游戏对社会功能和幸福感影响的文献，设计电子游戏对幸福感影响的理论框架第二阶段：构建和验证全球幸福感模型第三阶段：使用调查的定量数据分析纵向游戏行为、健康和社交数据第4阶段：体内行为实验：混合现实社交互动

IntroductionVideo gaming is becoming more popular, with an estimated 3 billion gamers worldwide (Clement, 2022), and thanks to cloud gaming, video gaming is even more accessible than ever before. However, as digital devices are becoming more omnipresent, and as they become more of a replacement for face-to-face interactions (Harley, 2022), we must consider how video games impact wellbeing and social functioning. It is especially paramount to consider global wellbeing, as most of research on this matter appears to have focused on psychological wellbeing only, discounting external influences on wellbeing like social circles, employment or finances.Impacts on wellbeingPast literature shows that gaming has an overall positive impact on wellbeing outcomes. In studies of neurotypical players, video gaming brought about positive effects on cognitive stimulation, emotional regulation and quality of life (Barr & Copeland-Stewart, 2021; Zhao, 2022). Negative impacts revolve around the issues of increased aggression (Olejarnik and Romano, 2023) and decreased offline social capital (Tushya et al., 2023). Impacts on social functioningWith regard to social functioning, gaming is an instrument that allows for social interactions. This has brought about positive effects for neurotypical players (Zhao, 2022), where they report socialising as one of the motivations for gameplay (Johnson et al., 2013). The positive impacts might be only observable if online interactions do not replace offline interactions (Harley, 2022).The gap: what is there to find out?However, there are issues with our current understanding of video game impacts on social functioning and wellbeing. Recent studies were conducted during the coronavirus pandemic when engagement with video games was the highest and beyond pre-pandemic levels. There are no investigations into the different behaviours in the online and offline spheres. Finally, no investigations considered the differential impacts on autistic and neurotypical players. In line with the following gaps, we formed research questions that we want to tackle:RQ1: What impact does long-term video gameplay have on wellbeing?RQ2: What impact does long-term video gameplay have on offline and online social functioning?RQ3: What recommendations and interventions can be offered to promote the positive impacts and target the negative impacts of video games?The plan: how do we answer these questions?To answer the above research questions, we devised a four-stage plan for the PhD thesis:Stage 1: Systematic review of literature on the impact of video games on social functioning and wellbeing, devising a theoretical framework of video game impacts on wellbeingStage 2: Construction and validation of a global wellbeing questionnaireStage 3: Analysis of longitudinal gameplay behaviours, wellbeing and socialisation data using quantitative data from surveysStage 4: In-vivo behavioural experiments: mixed reality social interaction