Author: Asher Agarwal, Class of 2027

Figure 1. A person playing Fortnite on a Nintendo Switch.

Online gaming, an activity played with others via the internet, is popular across all ages, abilities, and genders. Recently, research has been delving into the positive effects of gaming, such as the correlation of online gaming with social well-being. Researchers from NTNU Social Research, the University of Agder, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology set out to address the social dynamics of gaming and how gender and disability relate to gaming’s potential positive effects on the individual. They hypothesized that individuals with both physical and psychological disabilities would have a greater social motivation to play, increasing their socialization and well-being. For differences between genders, they had no clear hypothesis as it can be argued both ways: women typically have more extensive social networks and may game more for socialization, whereas gaming is more common in men’s upbringing so it can be a valuable platform for them to establish relationships. Lastly, they hypothesized that between social, achievement, and novelty motivation for gaming, social motivation would be the strongest predictor of positive effects on social and emotional well-being. 

Regular players of Fortnite Battle Royale (FBR) were scouted through social media and asked to complete a questionnaire to find their motivation type for playing FBR (social, achievement, or novelty motivation), time spent gaming, psychological status, who they play with, the expanse of their social network and overall quality of life. Researchers performed differential statistical analyses on males vs. females and disabled vs. able-bodied and minded people. 

Data analysis revealed that greater amounts of time spent playing FBR as well as having a social motivation for playing were both associated with larger social networks for all groups, most substantially for socially motivated women. The disability group had the most time spent playing FBR, and as hypothesized, higher social motivation and higher well-being than those without a disability. Socially motivated women also predicted greater well-being. Gender differences in the scores included men scoring highest on achievement motivation while women scored highest on novelty motivation. Although there was no significant difference between groups for the expanse of their social networks, for women, older participants, and those living with children, FBR tended to have a greater reported impact on their lives. 

This correlational study explored many important aspects of how social dynamics play a substantial role in the effects of gaming on individuals, revealing significant differences between men and women, disabled and abled people, and people with different types of social networks. However, despite the differences, the results show that gaming is a useful social platform for all socially motivated groups.

Works Cited:

[1] Hygen B, et al., “Gaming motivation and well-being among Norwegian adult gamers: the role of gender and disability.” Frontiers in Medical Technology 6 (2024). doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmedt.2024.1330926.

[2] Image taken from https://pexels.com/photo/a-person-playing-a-video-game-7133635/.