In April 2023, the Digital Wellness Lab released findings from a Pulse Survey (Digital Gaming and Social Interaction) of approximately 1,500 teenagers nationwide, exploring the social dynamics of online gaming, including types of play, gaming companions, and modes of communication. The results serve as a foundation for recommendations to young people, parents, and game designers who wish to maximize the benefits of video game play on social wellbeing and adolescent development.
This white paper, commissioned by the Ruderman Family Foundation, further examines the relationship between perceived loneliness and diverse social engagement during online gaming among adolescents, with a particular focus on how these relationships vary by age and gender.