Gambling and gaming are popular past-time activities that involve social elements. The built-in social features of online games and gambling platforms offer users valuable social interactions and can function as protective factors against gambling and gaming harms. However, being socially motivated to gamble or stay within online games might lead to spending excessive time gaming or gambling, often at the expense of other important routines and daily activities. Together, these factors might lead to gambling and gaming related problems and long-term individual and public health harms. Problem gambling is typically associated with other harmful behaviors, including alcohol use and cigarette smoking, while online gaming disorder has been associated with poor diet and sleep quality. Since its beginning in the early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged people’s everyday lives, wellbeing, and social interactions. Especially during the early stages of the pandemic many quarantined at home and stayed socially isolated from others. At that time, the World Health Organization, together with various gaming companies, launched the #PlayApartTogether initiative to promote well-being and encourage people to stay socially connected through virtual play. Going into the third year of the pandemic, people are still adjusting to and living in the so called “new normal” where many social conventions have changed. This inevitably influences people’s health-related and addictive behaviors and choices.
There is a need for more research on how these vast societal changes are influencing those social activities that can also become harmful in their excessive forms, such as online gaming, gambling, social media use, and internet use. The goal of this research topic is to publish papers (original research, reviews, methods) investigating the social motives and aspects of addictive behaviors in the aftermath of the pandemic. We are interested in themes related to gambling, online gaming, social media use, and internet use. Emerging work is expected to bring new insight into the impact of the COVID-19 on addictive behaviors that are also characterized by social elements and motives.
Gambling and gaming are popular past-time activities that involve social elements. The built-in social features of online games and gambling platforms offer users valuable social interactions and can function as protective factors against gambling and gaming harms. However, being socially motivated to gamble or stay within online games might lead to spending excessive time gaming or gambling, often at the expense of other important routines and daily activities. Together, these factors might lead to gambling and gaming related problems and long-term individual and public health harms. Problem gambling is typically associated with other harmful behaviors, including alcohol use and cigarette smoking, while online gaming disorder has been associated with poor diet and sleep quality. Since its beginning in the early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged people’s everyday lives, wellbeing, and social interactions. Especially during the early stages of the pandemic many quarantined at home and stayed socially isolated from others. At that time, the World Health Organization, together with various gaming companies, launched the #PlayApartTogether initiative to promote well-being and encourage people to stay socially connected through virtual play. Going into the third year of the pandemic, people are still adjusting to and living in the so called “new normal” where many social conventions have changed. This inevitably influences people’s health-related and addictive behaviors and choices.
There is a need for more research on how these vast societal changes are influencing those social activities that can also become harmful in their excessive forms, such as online gaming, gambling, social media use, and internet use. The goal of this research topic is to publish papers (original research, reviews, methods) investigating the social motives and aspects of addictive behaviors in the aftermath of the pandemic. We are interested in themes related to gambling, online gaming, social media use, and internet use. Emerging work is expected to bring new insight into the impact of the COVID-19 on addictive behaviors that are also characterized by social elements and motives.