Online Gaming and Wellbeing Among Pacific Youth: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Online gaming has become a core activity for leisure and as a career option. However, discourses on gaming are often adult-centric and position online gaming as detrimental to youth mental health and wellbeing. There is extensive research into online gaming and its intersections with gender and age, but our interests lie in gaming literature at the intersection of Pacific ethnicities. This article presents the findings of a scoping review focused on Pacific youth and online gaming. In line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 56 studies were identified, with only 3 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. These studies investigated the relationship between gaming and gambling among Pacific youth and the gamification of mental health support through computerised cognitive behavioural theory (cCBT). They found that, while Pacific people spend more money on lootboxes than other ethnic groups, there is no association between purchasing lootboxes and gambling. Additionally, Pacific peoples are able to suggest solutions to mitigate risk of gaming harm. Findings of the scoping review indicate a scarcity of literature on online gaming and Pacific youth wellbeing. There is a need to explore this relationship between gaming and Pacific youth wellbeing from Pacific wellbeing perspectives.