In public debates, and among certain strands of scholarship, digital games have been viewed with skepticism. For example, there is a substantial body of empirical research examining the potential negative effects of gaming and game cultures. These ‘dark’ aspects cover topics such as violent games and aggressiveness, social isolation as a consequence of excessive gaming, or toxicity and sexual harassment in gaming communities. Recently, the decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) to include "gaming disorder" in the ICD-11 triggered new worries about the addictiveness of games.
However, digital games also have a ‘light’ side that is often brought up in connection with positive effects such as enjoyment, stress reduction, recreation, or therapeutic and educational potential of games and play. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO was involved in the #PlayApartTogether campaign, encouraging people to stay at home and use games to connect with friends.
There is no clear answer to the question of whether the ‘dark’ or the ‘light’ side of gaming is dominant. Most existing studies focus on very specific aspects when examining the consequences of playing digital games and a fruitful discourse between skeptics and enthusiasts rarely takes place. We think it is important to emphasize that the different perspectives on the effects of games and play are not mutually exclusive. In order to provide a balanced view of the topic, the risks, as well as the benefits of gaming, must be considered. A specific challenge is that game studies is a very heterogeneous research field, with contributions from scholars with very different disciplinary backgrounds, such as psychology, media and communication studies, or computer science.
With this article collection, we hope to contribute to establishing a broader perspective on the effects of game use and stimulate dialogue between researchers. We encourage submissions on the ‘dark’ as well as on the ‘light’ side of gaming.
Example topics of possible contributions on the ‘dark’ aspects of games and play include the following:
• violent games and aggressiveness
• causes and consequences of addictive gaming (‘gaming disorder’)
• sexism and sexual harassment in gaming contexts
• games and moral panics
• radicalization and toxicity in game cultures
• negative impacts of gaming on mental health
• social isolation and gaming.
The ‘light’ side of games and play includes topics such as the following:
• serious games and game-based learning
• games supporting cognitive skills
• social capital and social support in gaming communities
• mood repair, enjoyment, recreation, and stress reduction
• games and eudaimonic/hedonic well-being
• games and prosocial behavior
• therapeutic uses of games and games in health communication.
We particularly welcome contributions on recent trends and developments in gaming (e.g., mobile gaming, virtual/augmented reality gaming, game streaming, and gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic).
Possible submission types include empirical studies, literature reviews, and theoretical contributions.
Authors are welcome to submit their papers via the following submission pathways to this collection:
• the Human-Media Interaction section in Frontiers in Psychology
• the Human-Media Interaction section in Frontiers in Computer Science
• the Media Psychology section in Frontiers in Psychology
• the Digital Impacts section in Frontiers in Human Dynamics
• the Culture and Communication section in Frontiers in Communication.
In public debates, and among certain strands of scholarship, digital games have been viewed with skepticism. For example, there is a substantial body of empirical research examining the potential negative effects of gaming and game cultures. These ‘dark’ aspects cover topics such as violent games and aggressiveness, social isolation as a consequence of excessive gaming, or toxicity and sexual harassment in gaming communities. Recently, the decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) to include "gaming disorder" in the ICD-11 triggered new worries about the addictiveness of games.
However, digital games also have a ‘light’ side that is often brought up in connection with positive effects such as enjoyment, stress reduction, recreation, or therapeutic and educational potential of games and play. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO was involved in the #PlayApartTogether campaign, encouraging people to stay at home and use games to connect with friends.
There is no clear answer to the question of whether the ‘dark’ or the ‘light’ side of gaming is dominant. Most existing studies focus on very specific aspects when examining the consequences of playing digital games and a fruitful discourse between skeptics and enthusiasts rarely takes place. We think it is important to emphasize that the different perspectives on the effects of games and play are not mutually exclusive. In order to provide a balanced view of the topic, the risks, as well as the benefits of gaming, must be considered. A specific challenge is that game studies is a very heterogeneous research field, with contributions from scholars with very different disciplinary backgrounds, such as psychology, media and communication studies, or computer science.
With this article collection, we hope to contribute to establishing a broader perspective on the effects of game use and stimulate dialogue between researchers. We encourage submissions on the ‘dark’ as well as on the ‘light’ side of gaming.
Example topics of possible contributions on the ‘dark’ aspects of games and play include the following:
• violent games and aggressiveness
• causes and consequences of addictive gaming (‘gaming disorder’)
• sexism and sexual harassment in gaming contexts
• games and moral panics
• radicalization and toxicity in game cultures
• negative impacts of gaming on mental health
• social isolation and gaming.
The ‘light’ side of games and play includes topics such as the following:
• serious games and game-based learning
• games supporting cognitive skills
• social capital and social support in gaming communities
• mood repair, enjoyment, recreation, and stress reduction
• games and eudaimonic/hedonic well-being
• games and prosocial behavior
• therapeutic uses of games and games in health communication.
We particularly welcome contributions on recent trends and developments in gaming (e.g., mobile gaming, virtual/augmented reality gaming, game streaming, and gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic).
Possible submission types include empirical studies, literature reviews, and theoretical contributions.
Authors are welcome to submit their papers via the following submission pathways to this collection:
• the Human-Media Interaction section in Frontiers in Psychology
• the Human-Media Interaction section in Frontiers in Computer Science
• the Media Psychology section in Frontiers in Psychology
• the Digital Impacts section in Frontiers in Human Dynamics
• the Culture and Communication section in Frontiers in Communication.
