The impact of multiplayer online games on social life : Risks and benefits of incorporating multiplayer online games in social work
Neumann, Fiona (2018)
Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2018112518111
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2018112518111
Tiivistelmä
Fiona Neumann
The impact of multiplayer online games on social life – Risks and benefits of incorporating multiplayer online games in social work
44 pages, 2 attachments
December 2018
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
Degree programme in Social Services
This thesis explores the world of multiplayer online games in relation to so-cial work, focusing on the benefits and risks of incorporating video games as a method in social work. Due to globalization and digitalization, video games have become increasingly successful and are used a lot by youth and young adults but have only occasionally been used in social work. To understand this in a more detailed way, an online survey has been con-ducted with 1377 participants in order to understand their personal view on their own gaming behaviour and the influence that games do have in their life.
The participants were found through social media, more specifically Face-book gaming groups. This thesis tries to give an overview about a lot of dif-ferent aspects surrounding games such as communication methods, E-Sports, gaming disorder and addiction, violence in video games and social interaction. Futhermore I tried to understand how gaming could possibly be incorporated in social work and which preconditions need to be met to be able to do this, including the knowledge a social worker should have about games in general to make such a project a successful and beneficial work method. Implementing video games in social work as a work method does require a certain level of knowledge about how these games are designed and used by gamers to make it a successful project.
Keywords: video games, multiplayer online games, social life, social work methods
The impact of multiplayer online games on social life – Risks and benefits of incorporating multiplayer online games in social work
44 pages, 2 attachments
December 2018
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
Degree programme in Social Services
This thesis explores the world of multiplayer online games in relation to so-cial work, focusing on the benefits and risks of incorporating video games as a method in social work. Due to globalization and digitalization, video games have become increasingly successful and are used a lot by youth and young adults but have only occasionally been used in social work. To understand this in a more detailed way, an online survey has been con-ducted with 1377 participants in order to understand their personal view on their own gaming behaviour and the influence that games do have in their life.
The participants were found through social media, more specifically Face-book gaming groups. This thesis tries to give an overview about a lot of dif-ferent aspects surrounding games such as communication methods, E-Sports, gaming disorder and addiction, violence in video games and social interaction. Futhermore I tried to understand how gaming could possibly be incorporated in social work and which preconditions need to be met to be able to do this, including the knowledge a social worker should have about games in general to make such a project a successful and beneficial work method. Implementing video games in social work as a work method does require a certain level of knowledge about how these games are designed and used by gamers to make it a successful project.
Keywords: video games, multiplayer online games, social life, social work methods