Digital social media, listening to music, video games, and TV series are all means of socializing, entertaining, and gathering information for young people. Through these activities, adolescents develop a shared culture. But we would be wrong to think of this culture as homogeneous, given that digital and media practices vary according to individuals’ social conditions […] … learn more→

While online video games create new spaces for interaction between teenagers, they can also be a source of social pressure when the obsession with victory becomes too strong. 52% of 12-17 year-olds spend more than three hours a day in front of screens . While social media plays a prominent role in their digital habits, video games are also […] … learn more→

In late November, Australia’s federal parliament passed landmark legislation banning under-16s from accessing social media. Details remain vague: we don’t have a complete list of which platforms will fall under the legislation, or how the ban will look in practice. However, the government has signalled that trials of age assurance technologies will be central to its enforcement […] … learn more→

Are you worried about how much time your child spends playing video games? Do they “hibernate” for hours in their room, talking what seems like gibberish to their friends? Fresh air and life away from gaming are undeniably important. But it may help to know our research shows many English teachers are thinking seriously about how gaming […] … learn more→

The effect of video games on the social, affective and cognitive development of children and adolescents is of concern since they have become one of the main forms of entertainment at an early age. As an extreme case, the Chinese government limits minors’ access to video games, although with little success . The addiction of young people to video […] … learn more→

In an effort to curtail how much time young people spend playing video games, China has banned students from playing them during the school week and limits them to just one hour per day on Fridays, weekends and holidays. The new rule took effect Sept. 1, 2021. From my standpoint as a video game designer and scholar […] … learn more→

The conversation around video games has been subtly shifting over recent years. Once almost universally slated as pointless at best, and at worst extremely harmful, video games have come in for what we now know to be unfair criticism. Politicians have used them as an excuse for their own failings over social issues such as […] … learn more→

Imagine you’re a young samurai in Japan in 1701. You have to make a difficult choice between an impoverished life in exile, or the prospect of almost certain death while trying to avenge the death of your dishonored lord. Which do you choose? “Ako: A Tale of Loyalty,” a video game built in 2020, takes […] … learn more→

Teaching the new generations of digital natives who are currently being trained in schools and institutes requires integrating participatory methodologies that allow them to enhance their interests and hobbies. Aware of this reality, the educational community has been debating in recent years the role that video games can play within the didactic gamification process. The teaching […] … learn more→

As communities across the globe are urged to stay indoors and practice physical distancing measures, feelings of isolation and loneliness are likely to become more prevalent. To combat the potential social and psychological impacts of physical distancing, many people are turning to video games. Video games were once widely perceived as inherently anti-social. However, the World […] … learn more→