Contextualising adolescents' egaming

Adolescents' consumption and problems related to playing and gambling on electronic devices like tv, pc and the internet, here labelled egaming, are increasing. By using qualitative techniques, the proposed project aims to contextualise adolescents' egami ng and egaming problems. As such the project fills a gap in previous research dominated by statistical prevalence studies. One objective is to develop context-based knowledge about households' regulation of adolescents' egaming, including the role of hous eholds dynamics, adolescents' divides, gender, parents and peer groups. Another is to discuss the knowledge's implications for further research, prevention and treatment of adolescents' egaming problems, particularly focusing at household level. An underl ying idea is that parents, both as affected part ('patient') and as self-help resource ('therapist') should be included in prevention and treatment of adolescents' egaming problems. The project will be based on media and consumption theories, philosophy a nd anthropology, where Silverstone et al's concept of domestication, Wittgenstein's, language game, Helle-Valle's concept of divids, and Mauss' classical gift theory. Adolescents and parents of 24-32 households with egaming problems and about 32 household s without egaming problems will be personally interviewed. In addition focus groups of 16 peer groups will be conducted. The analysis will follow Glaser and Strauss' 'grounded theory'. The project proposal will be part of a strategic scientific priority a t SIFO on the study of ICT in a consumption perspective. The results will be reported in 5-10 articles published in scientific refereed journals.