Psychological and Digital Safety Risk in Children’s Online Gaming: A Socio-Technical Governance Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66168/ww6m1t67Keywords:
Psychology, Digital Governance, Children, Online Gaming, Policy StudiesAbstract
The rapid expansion of online gaming among children has intensified scholarly and policy debates regarding its psychological consequences and digital safety risks, yet existing discussions often frame these challenges primarily as individual behavioral problems rather than systemic socio-technical phenomena. This study examines how psychological vulnerability, platform architecture, and institutional governance interact in shaping risks within contemporary gaming ecosystems. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature and qualitative thematic synthesis, the research analyzes the intersection between online gaming addiction, social isolation, digital exploitation, and evolving communication infrastructures. The findings indicate that digital literacy initiatives, parental supervision, and educational interventions remain important but insufficient when implemented without structural regulatory support. Persistent vulnerabilities related to anonymity, virtual economies, and fragmented legal frameworks highlight the need to reconceptualize digital child protection as a governance issue rather than solely a behavioral concern. By proposing integrated strategies involving platform security standards, identity verification mechanisms, and multisectoral policy coordination, this study contributes to the literature by reframing online gaming risks as a socio-technical governance challenge that requires alignment between technological innovation, institutional responsibility, and ethical protection of children in digital environments.
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