Where Minecraft lands Amidst the Social Fabric of Young Gamers * Minecraft; video games; gaming; social behavior; psychology

Abstract

This research study examines the intricacies of the development of the social fabric of children aged nine to twelve-years old who play the popular video game Minecraft. The term “social fabric” functions as a catch-all for empathy, prosocial behaviors, and social competence. The research is grounded in historical context as well as literary context that details the development of Minecraft and the current research findings that exist already. The method for this study is interviews intending to draw out pertinent information about how important Minecraft is to children in the age demographic, as well as whether they display empathy, prosocial behaviors, and social competence, and finally, if they do, whom they display those behaviors and traits to. The study concludes that these children have at least some level of empathy, prosocial behavior, and social competence, and that most of them have high levels of these traits. The study also found that the noted traits were most often displayed to immediate family members and friends.