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Updated: Jul 6, 2026
06:01
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Online Gamers
Published on: November 9, 2019
Reconceptualizing online gaming in emerging adulthood: a phenomenological study
Anuradha Sathiyaseelan1, Sathiyaseelan Balasundaram2, Bishal Patangia3
1School of Psychological Sciences, Christ University, Bangalore, India. anuradha.sathiyaseelan@christuniversity.in.
BMC Psychology
|July 4, 2026
Summary
Emerging adults in India experience gaming as a meaningful practice that supports emotional regulation, cognitive engagement, and social connection. This study highlights gaming
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Digital Well-being
Background:
- Research on emerging adults' gaming often focuses on risks, neglecting its integration into daily life.
- Limited understanding exists regarding gaming as an emotional, cognitive, embodied, and meaningful practice for young adults.
- This study addresses the gap by exploring the lived experiences of gaming among emerging adults in India.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experiences of gaming among emerging adults in India.
- To understand gaming as a multidimensional psychosocial practice integrated into everyday life.
- To challenge risk-oriented perspectives by highlighting the meaningful aspects of gaming.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative phenomenological study involving 12 emerging adult gamers (18-25 years) in India.
- Data collected via semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted via secure video conferencing.
- Thematic analysis using Braun and Clarke's framework, with trustworthiness ensured through rigorous methods.
Main Results:
- Theme 1: 'What Gaming Feels Like' - encompassing emotional intensity, coping, motivation, and self-reflection.
- Theme 2: 'How Gaming Shows Up in the Body' - including immersion, bodily awareness, fatigue, and physical self-regulation.
- Theme 3: 'How Gaming Fits into Life' - detailing integration into routines, relationships, identity, and social interaction. Gaming is a developmental activity supporting emotional regulation, cognition, personal growth, and social connection, requiring balance and self-monitoring.
Conclusions:
- Gaming functions as a multidimensional and embodied psychosocial practice for emerging adults, not solely a risk.
- Understanding gaming requires considering its role in identity development, emotional regulation, and daily life.
- Findings inform psychological research, clinical assessment, and digital well-being interventions for youth.
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