In the contemporary gaming generation, digital games have become a dilemma between education and entertainment. Adolescents utilize digital games for socializing and amusement, but this has also sparked concerns among parents, teachers, and society about potential addiction. The purpose of this study is to explore how teenage players accumulate and transform social capital through game playing within the contexts of their family, school, and the gaming world.
This article is built upon ethnographic research methodology and involves participatory observation and in-depth interviews conducted at a local elementary school. The field observation took place in the sixth-grade classroom over a period of six months, with a primary focus on observing interactions among classmates. During the field observation process, we conducted a census of nearly 200 students in the school, selecting 20 heavy players (14 boys and 6 girls). The subjects of the in-depth interviews were these 20 heavy players and their primary teachers.
The study reveals three key findings. Firstly, the social network relationships of teenage players are interwoven among school, family, and the game world. They are overlapping and intertwining. Secondly, the norms within these social networks frequently clash with each other, and players must endure pressures from school and family to attain gaming enjoyment. Thirdly, resources such as time and money are exchanged and accumulated between the real world and the game world. Players have learned to convert real-life currency into virtual resources within the game world, such as powerful weapons, attractive outfits, and interactive emoticons that enhance their capabilities.

Authors:
YuPei Chang, National Yung Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Professor YuPei Chang is a University Professor/Principal Lecturer at National Yung Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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