Scripting their stories: parents' experiences with their adolescents and video games
Date
2011-04-26
Authors
Madill, Leanna E
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Abstract
This study explores the experiences of parents around video games and their
adolescent children. Nine parents participated in individual and focus group interviews
which asked them to reflect and consider their interactions, opinions, and beliefs about
video games and their adolescent children who are gamers. Drawing on Critical
Discourse Analysis the data revealed themes of power, fear, and judgment. The analysis
is best represented by ethnodramatic scripts. These scripts depict parents’ concerns of
video games, perceptions of their adolescent children, their beliefs about parenting, and
the influence of societal messages. The complexities and sometimes contradictions
available in the scripts suggest that more conversations are necessary about how
parenting, video games, and gamers intersect so that many of the fears can be overcome
and more critical approaches can be adopted.
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Keywords
Video games, parents, adolescents, ethnodrama, critical discourse analysis, education, technology, teacher education