Publications

RAPID: Natural experiments with online games: Support, impact and mitigation during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This research examines whether the surge of participation in online games triggered by the social distancing response to the COVID-19 pandemic is mitigating or magnifying the harm caused on the wellbeing of those kept away from their fundamental sources of social support, stimulation, and affection. The world is facing an unprecedented crisis as people have suddenly and dramatically moved away from physical contact and into mediated spaces, with largely unknown costs and benefits. The objective of this research is to discover mitigation strategies by leveraging existing and ongoing large data sets from multi-player games to provide a longitudinal window on the net effect of these changes on socialization, support, community, physical and mental health. Are those changes different as new cohorts come online, and how do the dynamics also shift as these new groups mix with the previous ones? Are online …

Date
January 1, 1970
Authors
Emilio Ferrara
Journal
NSF Award Number 2035064. Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Volume
20
Issue
2035064
Pages
35064