Computers in Human Behavior 36 (2014) 385–390

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Computers in Human Behavior

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/comphumbeh

Social gaming, lonely life? The impact of digital game play on

adolescents’ social circles
Rachel Kowert a,⇑, Emese Domahidi a, Ruth Festl b, Thorsten Quandt a
a
University of Münster, Germany
b
University of Hohenheim, Germany

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: In recent years, there have been rising concerns about the impact of online video game play on users’
socialization, particularly among adolescent players. The current study addresses one of these concerns
and evaluates the potential impact of social displacement on the size and quality of users’ social circles
Keywords: due to video game play. Using a representative sample of adolescent players, the results provide support
Video games for the emergence of social displacement effects. Increased social online video game play, but not social
Online video games offline video game play, was found to correspond with smaller, and lower quality, offline social circles.
Adolescents
However, further research is needed to assess the impact of these declines on everyday socialization, such
Social displacement
Social circles
its potential negative influence on the development and maintenance of social skills.
Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction and valued sources of online advice (Pena & Hancock, 2006;
Williams, 2006; Yee, 2006). Cole and Griffiths (2007) found that
Video game play has become a popular leisure activity, particu- up to 75% of online game players report making ‘‘good friends’’
larly among adolescents. According to a survey by the Pew Internet within their gaming communities, and, of these, between 40%
and American Life Project (Lenhart et al., 2008), 97% of US teens (Cole & Griffiths, 2007) and 70% (Williams, Ducheneaut, Xiong,
(aged 12–17) play video games on a computer, with a handheld Yee, & Nickell, 2006) report regularly discussing ‘‘offline’’ issues
device, or dedicated games console. This popularity seems to cross online, including concerns that they have not yet discussed with
gender lines, as the same survey reports that 99% of boys and 94% pre-existing social contacts. Engaging in a shared, playful activity
of girls are active video game players. Of the adolescent game play- helps to facilitate social interactions between players and encour-
ers, 27% report playing online, that is, with others linked through ages the formation of these friendship ties (Feld, 1991; Feld &
an Internet connection. Like traditional video games, online video Carter, 1998). The presence of a shared activity has been found
games are playful activities that one engages in for the primary to be particularly important in facilitating adolescents’ friendship
purpose of entertainment (Oliver & Raney, 2011). However, unlike development (Bukowski, Newcomb, & Hartup, 1998; Werner &
traditional video games, online games are also designed to encour- Parmelee, 1979).
age and facilitate interaction among co-players (Chen, 2009; While online games have grown to be widely popular, this new
Ducheneaut & Moore, 2005; Jakobsson & Taylor, 2003), creating a form of entertainment is not without dissenters. In fact, since its
distinctive environment characterized by social play. popularization there has been a concern over the potential nega-
Like other computer mediated social spaces (e.g., chat rooms, tive social impact of online gaming on the user. For example, while
social networking websites) online video games are social environ- the presence of a shared activity can facilitate adolescent friend-
ments where friendships often develop (Domahidi, Festl, & Quandt, ship development, the nature of the activity is integral. As online
2014; Kowert, Domahidi, & Quandt, 2014). One’s co-players are gaming is largely an unstructured activity (i.e., engaged in sponta-
often more than just individuals who help achieve in-game neously, without formal rules or directions from adult leaders, and
instrumental goals. Co-players often become close, trusted friends feature few goals related to offline skill development), increased
participation may be detrimental and lead to increased levels of
antisocial behavior (Mahoney & Stattin, 2000). The limitations of
⇑ Corresponding author. Address: The University of Münster, Westfälische
the social environment of online games have also raised concerns,
Wilhelms, Universität Rektorat-DerKanzler, Abteilung 3.3, Schlossplatz 2, Germany.
particularly in relation to the presence and influence of social
Tel.: +49 176 84706874.
E-mail address: [email protected] (R. Kowert). displacement effects due to increased engagement.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.04.003
0747-5632/Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
386 R. Kowert et al. / Computers in Human Behavior 36 (2014) 385–390

1.1. Social displacement hypothesis An exception to this comes from the work of Griffiths et al.
(2004). While an online sourced opportunity sample was enlisted,
It is feared that through increased online video game involve- the researchers focused on examining differences between adoles-
ment, adolescents may begin to exchange their close offline friend- cent and adult players of Everquest, a popular online role playing
ships for newly formed online contacts (Caplan, Williams, & Yee, game. This analysis of players did not evaluate displacement
2009; Chiu, Lee, & Huang, 2004; Williams, 2006). This is problem- effects directly but rather participants’ reports of ‘‘what they sacri-
atic, as offline social ties are important for supporting adolescents’ fice (if anything) to play the game’’. Both adolescent and adult play-
physical and mental health (Anderssen & Wold, 1992; Voorhees ers reported sacrificing socializing with friends, family, and/or their
et al., 2005) and reducing deviant behavior (Crosnoe, Erickson, & partner in order to play. Adolescent participants were also found to
Dornbusch, 2002). The displacement of offline for online contacts sacrifice work/education and sleep to a greater extent than adult
can also lead to range of other, more long-term, social conse- players.
quences, such as hindering the development and maintenance of This finding was replicated in a 2007 study by Cummings and
effective social skills (Griffiths, 2010; Kowert & Oldmeadow, Vandewater. Using a representative sample of children aged
2013; Lemmens, Valkenburg, & Peter, 2011; Liu & Peng, 2009). 10–19, the researchers evaluated the relationship between time
The fear of displacement due to online video game use stems spent on video game playing activities and other non-gaming
from the idea that as players become more involved in online video activities. Rather than having participants report what, if any, sac-
game play they begin to displace their offline social contacts for rifices were made because of the amount of time being allocated to
online ones (Cole & Griffiths, 2007; Hussain & Griffiths, 2009; Lo, video game play, participants were asked to keep time use diaries
Wang, & Fang, 2005; Morahan-Martin & Schumacher, 2003; Shen and record the amount of time spent on gaming and non-gaming
& Williams, 2010). Largely due to the ‘‘inelasticity of time’’ (Nie & activities (e.g., video game play, time with parents, homework,
Hillygus, 2001), one’s online social community may begin to thrive sports and active leisure, etc.). Use data was generated for each
at the expense of face-to-face interactions (Caplan et al., 2009; participant for one randomly chosen weekday and one weekend
Chiu et al., 2004; Kraut et al., 1998; Morahan-Martin & day. The results indicated that adolescents who play video games
Schumacher, 2003; Nie & Erbring, 2002; Williams, 2006), which report spending less time on school related activities, with parents,
can lead to the displacement, or exchange, of offline social contacts and with friends in other activities, than adolescents who do not
for online ones (Bessiere, Kiesler, Kraut, & Boneva, 2012; Blais, play games.
Craig, Pepler, & Connolly, 2008; Kraut et al., 1998). Over time, this While these studies both highlight the potential displacement
displacement may substantially impact the user’s ability to main- of offline social activities due to online game play among
tain real-world relationships and lead to declines in the size and adolescent players, they do not provide information relating to
quality of user’s offline social circles (Cole & Griffiths, 2007; the potential broad, long-term social changes that may occur due
Hussain & Griffiths, 2009; Lo et al., 2005; Morahan-Martin & to extended video game play (e.g., changes in the players’ quality
Schumacher, 2003; Shen & Williams, 2010). and quantity of their social circle). Whereas Griffiths et al. (2004)
Research has found provided evidence to support the presence assessed players’ general perception of sacrifice, rather than noting
of displacement effects (Cole & Griffiths, 2007; Griffiths, Davies, & specific social changes, Cummings and Vandewater drew their con-
Chappell, 2004; Lo et al., 2005; Shen & Williams, 2010; Smyth, clusions based on time use patterns for two randomly chosen days
2007; Williams, 2006). For instance, Lo and colleagues (2005) found within a week. Thus, this research has highlighted the potential
that heavier users of online video games (i.e., 30+ hours a week of presence of displacement mechanisms due to game play; however,
play) reported a poorer quality of interpersonal relationships than the impact, magnitude, and longevity of these effects remain
light users (i.e., 2–7 h of week of play) or non-playing participants. unclear.
In the only known experimental study examining the social impact
of engagement across gaming modalities, Smyth (2007) found that 1.2. Social displacement and adolescents
after one month of play, online game players reported a greater
reduction in the time spent socializing with offline friends than Understanding the presence and impact of social displacement
players of arcade or offline video games and a greater interest in due to online video game play among adolescent players is partic-
continuing to play than players of offline, single-player games. As ularly important as they are likely to be more vulnerable to the
players grew closer to their in-game contacts, offline activities potential negative social side-effects for a number of reasons.
became displaced and online game play became more desirable. Firstly, during adolescence, individuals have an extraordinate
Williams (2006) noted a similar pattern of cocooning (i.e., retreat- amount of spare time that could be dedicated to online game play.
ing into the seclusion of one’s home during leisure time) among This means that there is a greater opportunity for adolescent play-
online players, as, over time, they began to place a higher value ers to invest time in online gaming spaces to the detriment of time
on their in-game social contacts at the expense of pre-existing rela- spent socializing with offline contacts. This abundance of free time
tionships. Over a one-month period, online players displayed sev- also likely contributes to the popularization of online video games
eral drops in physical social contact and reported declines in the among adolescent samples (Lenhart et al., 2008). Secondly, during
frequency in which they visited offline contacts. adolescence one’s priorities shift away from reliance on one’s par-
While this research provides evidence to suggest the existence ents and towards peer relationships (Bowerman & Kinch, 1959;
of displacement effects and the potential for online video game Coleman, 1961; Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986), which become the
play to negatively impact players’ offline social circles, this work main source for intimacy and emotional support (von Salisch and
has been conducted exclusively within opportunity samples of uni- Seifge-Krenke, 1996; Nickerson & Nagle, 2005). As such, the dis-
versity students or more involved game players recruited online. placement of one’s offline contacts may be particularly impactful
While a reliance on opportunity samples is often an unfortunate on an adolescents’ social life and could have substantial conse-
necessity, it also limits the understanding of the relationship quences. For example, adolescence is the developmental period
between these variables among a representative or adolescent in which a variety of social proficiencies are acquired, such as the
sample. This is important, as the concern about the social impact ability to cultivate emotional closeness with others (Field, Lang,
of online game play is often discussed in relation to online game Yando, & Bendell, 1995; Hansen, Christopher, & Nangle, 1992),
players generally and magnified in relation to adolescent players, and control one’s verbal and non-verbal displays (Murphy,
rather than being limited to a subset of more active, adult players. Shepard, Eisenberg, & Guthrie, 1999). As having and maintaining
 R. Kowert et al. / Computers in Human Behavior 36 (2014) 385–390 387

interpersonal relationships is integral to developing effective social 2003). To develop the abridged BSSS, the two highest-loading
skills and learning socially appropriate behavior (Bartholomew & items from each subscale of the BSSS (emotional and instrumental
Horowitz, 1991; Cassidy, Kirsh, Scolton, & Parke, 1996; Engles, support) were identified and retained. The emotional support sub-
Finkenauer, Meeus, & Dekovic, 2001), if increased online video scales assesses the level of support and comfort generated by social
game involvement reduces one’s offline social engagement (either contacts (i.e., ‘‘When I am sad, there are people who can cheer me up’’,
through quantity or quality) the development and maintenance of ‘‘When I need comfort and support, somebody is there for me’’) while
these particular social skills could be hindered or deteriorate. the instrumental subscale assesses the level of tangible support
Additionally, without the development of effective social skills, generated by social contacts (i.e., ‘‘When I have worries, there is
an adolescent player may fail to successfully transition from par- someone to help me’’, ‘‘If everything gets too much, others are there
ent-relationships to self-contained peer relationships which could to help me’’). Each item was rated from ‘‘Does not apply at all’’ (1)
result in a disruption of personality development as well as other to ‘‘Applies completely’’ (5).
problematic internal or external behavior (Hurrelmann, 2005). Responses from each subscale were summed to create total
emotional and instrumental outcome scores. Additionally, the sub-
1.3. Current study scales were summed to create a ‘‘Total Support’’ outcome score.

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between

2.1.3. Social game play
video game play and relationship outcomes to determine if there
In order to examine the unique influence of online video game
are tangible variations in the size and quality of adolescent players’
involvement on relationship outcomes, their association with off-
social circles that correspond with increased social video game
line video game involvement must also be considered. Original
play. The following research questions will be addressed:
apprehensions about the social consequences of video game play
grew from research that examined the potential negative social
RQ1: Are there relationships between online video game play
influence of arcade machines on its players (Dominick, 1984;
and the size of adolescent players’ social circles?
Senlow, 1984). These findings are largely unacknowledged in
RQ2: Are there relationships between online video game play
recent research, as the concern about the social effects of video
and the quality of adolescent players’ social circles?
game involvement has shifted its attention away from video games
RQ3: If significant relationships emerge, are these relationships
themselves and toward the consequences of socially mediated play
indicative of social displacement?
in particular. However, as video game play can in and of itself be a
socially displacing activity, one must account for it prior to evalu-
To evaluate the relationships between online video game
ating the associations between online video game involvement and
involvement and relationship outcomes, a telephone interview
social outcome variables in order to assess the unique contribu-
was undertaken among computer and console game players in
tions of socially mediated play. As such, the frequency of social off-
between March 2011 and March 2012. Participants answered a
line and social online play was assessed. ‘‘Social online’’ play refers
series of questions regarding their video game use and provided
to playing with others via the Internet or console networks, whilst
a range of demographic information. The primary variables of
‘‘social offline’’ play refers to playing with other game players on
interest are discussed in more detail below.
the same computer or console (i.e., co-located). Play frequency
assessments were filtered based on the participants’ reported reg-
2. Materials and methods ularity of play. That is, play frequency was reported in relation to a
specific reference point selected by the participants (daily/weekly/
2.1. Variables of interest monthly). These outcomes were then transformed to represent
average daily play time (minutes).
2.1.1. Size of social circles
To assess the size of participants’ social circles, two friendship
2.2. Participants
indicators were enlisted. Participants were first asked to report
their general number of ‘‘good friends’’ (see Wang & Wellman,
The present study draws from a large representative sample1
2010 for a similar approach). The term ‘‘friendship’’ was intention-
ally framed as an ambiguous concept to avoid ascribing artificial (N = 4500) of computer and console game players in Germany who
took part in a telephone interview between March and April 2011.
limitations on participants’ perception of whom they considered
friends. As this study aims to compare the impact of social game play on ado-
lescent players, only players under the age of 18 who reported
Participants also asked to report their number of ‘‘confidants.’’
This assessment was adapted from the Burt-Generator (Burt, engaging in active video game play were retained (n = 570). The
sample was predominantly male (71.1% or 405 participants), with
1984) and produces a value representative of the number of indi-
viduals a person has with whom they can discuss personal matters. an average age of 16.44 (SD = 1.14).
Of the 570 adolescent game players, 93% reported playing
In contrast to a role-based view of friendships, ‘‘confidants’’ are
believed to be exchange-based relationships that provide certain socially, either offline, online, or both. 385 reported engaging in
active online game play (i.e., playing an average of more than
forms of social support (Tardy, 1985).
While there is likely to be an overlap between ‘‘good friends’’ one minute a week with other gamers via the Internet or console
networks), and 484 reported engaging in active offline game play
and ‘‘confidants’’ this procedure enables the measurement of the
social embeddedness of a person with two different approaches (i.e., playing an average of more than one minute a week with
other game players on the same computer or console). More than
and allows one to pinpoint where the potential displacement
may be impacting an individuals’ interpersonal relationships (i.e., half of all participants (60.00% or 342 participants) reported engag-
ing in both social online and social offline game play.
good friends or confidants).

1
This sample was drawn from a representative sample of 50,000 individuals aged
2.1.2. Quality of social circles 14 and older who were asked about their gaming behavior in an omnibus telephone
Social circle quality was assessed using an abridged version of survey using the German standard computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)
the Berlin Social Support Scale (BSSS; Schultz and Schwarzer, sampling procedure between December - February 2011.
388 R. Kowert et al. / Computers in Human Behavior 36 (2014) 385–390

Participants reported playing video games an average of 1.19 h 3.2. Interaction analyses
(SD = 1.42) per day, with substantially more time being dedicated
to social online (M = .97, SD = 1.31) rather than offline (M = .35, To examine the potential interactions between offline and
SD = .68) game play. On average, participants reported having sev- online game play frequency and relationship outcomes, an interac-
eral good friends (M = 8.18, SD = 7.42) and confidants (M = 6.34, tion term was constructed by centering the offline and online game
SD = 7.4), as well as high levels of social support, indicating that play frequency variables (i.e., subtracting the mean from each
their friendships are of a relatively high quality, with average term) and multiplying them together. No significant interactions
scores of emotional (M = 13.05, SD = 1.72) and instrumental were found between offline and online play frequency and the
(M = 13.32, SD = 1.78) support nearing the top end of the maximum quality and quantity of players’ friendships (p’s > .34). Interactions
outcome score of 15. between play frequency and gender were also assessed. No signif-
icant interactions were found (p’s > .21). As no significant interac-
tions were found between offline and online play frequency,
2.3. Procedure
gender, and the outcome variables, these analyses were removed
from the final model.
To examine the relationship between social video game play
and the quality and quantity of players’ friendships, regression
analyses will be conducted whereby the linear relationships 4. Discussion
between the variables of interest and social video game play fre-
quency will be assessed. As aforementioned, total, social offline, The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between
and social online play frequency, will be used as predictor vari- social video game play and relationship outcomes among a repre-
ables. Interaction between social offline and online play and social sentative sample of game playing adolescents. Inverse, linear rela-
play and gender will also be evaluated. tionships between social online video game play and the size and
Uncovering inverse relationships between social online play quality of adolescent social circles did emerge, with increased
frequency and relationship outcome scores would indicate that social online play corresponding a lower overall quality of inter-
increased social online play linearly corresponds with poorer social personal relationships, particularly in terms of lower emotional
outcomes, in terms of fewer friendships of a lower quality. While support. Total play frequency also demonstrated an inverse rela-
this would not demonstrate causality, it would suggest the poten- tionship with the total number of confidants, with the majority
tial for social online game play to displace pre-existing contacts of the variance being accounted for by online social play. Taken
and contribute to poorer social outcomes for players. Conversely, together, the results indicate that increased social online game
uncovering positive relationships between increased involvement play corresponds with smaller social circles (i.e., less confidants)
and friendship outcomes would be suggestive of social augmenta- of a lower quality (i.e., less emotional support, lower total support)
tion mechanisms, as it would indicate that increased involvement for adolescent players.
is associated with a greater number of social contacts of a greater Uncovering significant linear relationships between social
quality. online game play frequency and the size and quality of players’
social circles provides preliminary support for the presence of
displacement effects due to increased social online video game
3. Results
play. These findings support the patterns between online video
game play and relationship outcomes uncovered within adult
3.1. Linear associations between relationship variables and play
opportunity samples (Cole & Griffiths, 2007; Griffiths et al., 2004;
frequency among social game players
Lo et al., 2005; Shen & Williams, 2010; Smyth, 2007; Williams,
2006) and indicate that adolescent players are experiencing varia-
To examine the linear relationships between the size and qual-
tion in the quantity and quality of their offline social support sys-
ity of participants’ social circles and social video game play, hierar-
tems that corresponds with increased social online video game use.
chical regression analyses were conducted whereby total game
While displacement effects were not directly measured, one
play frequency, social offline play frequency (i.e., co-located) and
could postulate that the inverse linear correspondence between
social online play frequency were regressed onto the various rela-
social online game play and relationship outcomes represents a
tionship variables. Only participants who reported engaging in
loss in confidants and emotional support as social online game play
social online and offline game play were included in the final
increases. However, longitudinal research is needed to confirm this
model (n = 342). As gender differences are often found on game-
possibility. Furthermore, even though significant linear relation-
related issues (Lucas & Sherry, 2004; Ogletree & Drake, 2007), gen-
ships were found, the proportion of variance explained by social
der was partialed out by imputing it in Step 1 of the analyses.
online play frequency was relatively small. Thus, while there is a
As can be seen in Table 1, the frequency of social offline play
significant relationship between social online play and relationship
(i.e., co-located play) did not emerge as a significant individual pre-
outcomes, other factors may also be contributing to any potential
dictor of the relationship variables assessing quantity (i.e., number
displacement effects. For example, Hellström, Nilsson, Leppert,
of good friends and confidents) or quality (i.e., level of emotional,
and Aslund (2012) found that adolescents who were motivated
instrumental, and total support) of players’ social circles. However,
for social reasons presented a reduced risk of displacement effects
the frequency of social online game play did emerge as a significant
due to play. Future research should assess the potential moderat-
individual predictor of players’ level of perceived emotional sup-
ing role of social motives on social video game play and relation-
port (b = .284, p < .01) and level of total support (b = .401,
ship outcomes.
p < .05). Total play frequency also emerged as an inverse predictor
of players’ number of confidants (b = .696, p < .05), with the
majority of the variance being accounted for by social online 4.1. Limitations and future research
(b = .495) rather than offline (b = .001) play frequency. The
emergence of inverse relationships between these variables signi- While the current study has provided significant insight into the
fies that that increased online video game play is associated with relationship between social video game play and the size and
less emotional and total social support as well as indicates its asso- quality of adolescent players’ social circles, there are several limi-
ciation with fewer confidents. tations to consider. Firstly, the current analysis was cross-sectional
 R. Kowert et al. / Computers in Human Behavior 36 (2014) 385–390 389

Table 1
Total R2 and unstandardized beta weights for individual predictors in the final model (n = 342).

Good friends Confidants Emotional support Instrumental support Total quality

b (SE) b (SE) b (SE) b (SE) b (SE)
Step 1
Gender (female = 1) 2.77 (.125)* 1.37 (1.19) 1.05 (.238)*** .734 (.248)** 1.78 (.444)***
Step 2
Total play frequency .062 (.309) .696 (.292)* .075 (.059) .166 (.061)* .241 (.109)*
Total R2 (change) .119 (.000) .142 (.016)* .239 (.004) .214 (.021)** .241 (.058)*
Step 3
Offline social play (co-located) .230 (.660) .001 (.625) .016 (.125) .041 (.130) .057 (.232)
Online social play .599 (.567) .495 (.537) .284 (.107)** .118 (.111) .401 (.199)*
Total R2 (change) .136 (.004) .151 (.003) .278 (.020)* .221 (.003) .263 (.011)

Significance for the bold values represent the Beta weights despite the fact they are listed after the standard error.
***
p < .001.
**
p < .01.
*
p < .05.

in nature. As such, causal claims cannot be made. While it is possi- be an important consideration when evaluating the relationship
ble that the linear relationships uncovered here indicate the pres- between play frequency and social outcomes. For example,
ence of displacement effects, longitudinal research is needed to increased weekend play could be less impactful on players’ social
determine the exact nature of these relationships. Additionally, circles than weekday play, as avid weekend players are less likely
while the sample enlisted in the current study was drawn from a to be sacrificing everyday activities and experiences in order to
representative pool of participants, it was constrained to adoles- engage. Future research should consider documenting play fre-
cent players living in Germany. As such, replications are needed quency in alternative ways (for instance, by asking players to keep
to determine if these patterns uncovered here universal across a daily gaming diary) as well as differentiate between weekend and
cultures. weekday play. An abridged version of the social capital scales was
While the research questions assessed within this study were also enlisted. A replication study enlisting the full BSSS scales is
not genre-specific, it is possible that the relationships between needed to determine if these patterns remain when the full spec-
play frequency and social outcomes uncovered here would differ trum of emotional and instrumental support is assessed.
among players who predominantly engage in different gaming
environments. For example, a range of research has evaluated the 5. Conclusion
relationship between MMORPG (Massively-Multiplayer Online
Role Playing Games) play and social outcomes. MMORPGs are The displacement of offline for online social contacts due to
believed to have a unique ability to promote sociability between online video game involvement is often raised as a topic of con-
users (Cole & Griffiths, 2007; Liu & Peng, 2009; Smyth, 2007) as cern. The current study evaluated the basis of these claims by
cooperation between players is often crucial to game play (Chen, exploring the linear relationships between social video game play
2009; Ducheneaut & Moore, 2005; Moore, Ducheneaut, & Nickell, and the size and quality of offline social circles among adolescent
2007). As such, the social environments of MMORPGs differs from players. The current results provide preliminary evidence to sup-
other genres, such as multi-player First Person Shooter (FPS) games port the claims of displacement theorists, as increased social online
where gameplay is more about competition than cooperation and video game play, but not social offline video game play, was found
the social environment is characterized by competitiveness, trash to correspond with smaller, and lower quality, social circles. How-
talking, and gloating (Zubek & Khoo, 2002). These differences in ever, further research is needed to assess the potential causal rela-
social environments could differentially impact the relationships tionships between these variables as well as their impact on
between social online play frequency and relationship quality everyday social functioning, such its potential negative impact on
and quantity. For example, it is possible that one could find a the development and maintenance of social skills.
positive correspondence between emotional support and play fre-
quency among players of MMORPGs, more so than among FPS Acknowledgements
players, as the gameplay within MMORPGs is more focused on
cooperation, and thus likely to be better suited to provide support- The research leading to these results received funding from the
ive friendships than FPS environments, which center on competi- European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007 –
tion between players. As participants were not asked to report 2013) under grand agreement no. 240864 (SOFOGA).
which genres of games they currently play, an analysis of this kind
was not possible. Future research should consider enlisting a References
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