Intergenerational Meaning-Making Around Video Games: A Qualitative Study of Family Communication and Digital Socialisation

With the rise in digital technologies, video games have become a key arena of family communication, where relationships, norms and roles are being reinterpreted. The aim of this study is to explore the meanings attributed to video games in the narratives of different generations, and how they shape the dynamics of family interactions. The research employed a qualitative approach: 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with three groups—young adult gamers, gamer parents and non-gamer parents. Through thematic analysis, we identified five main categories of meaning, along which the interviews were analysed. The results highlight that co-play has the potential to bridge the gap between generations, whilst social discourses surrounding digital media significantly influence parents’ interpretations of control and responsibility. This study interprets video games as mediated rituals of contemporary family communication, in which relationships, norms and meanings are constantly renegotiated.