Online Games: Impact and Challenges for Children's Social Development

Abstract

Digital technology is developing very quickly and has made online games a growing part of the lives of children and adolescents. This article aims to analyze in depth the influence of online games on the social development of children and, at the same time, identify various challenges faced by parents, educators, and policymakers in responding to this phenomenon. This research uses library research by examining various scientific literature, including journal articles, books, and research report results published in the range 2015–2024. Study results show that online games have two-way consequences. On the positive side, online games can increase thinking ability, foster collaboration between players, and expand skills to interact in digital environments. However, the usage is not controlled and also has the potential to cause addiction, reduce social interaction intensity directly, lower empathic ability, and inhibit the formation of children's identity. This study also found several important findings, among others: still low levels of parents' digital literacy, insufficient supervision of game content, as well as limited digital parenting guidelines that can be used as a reference. Therefore, this article confirms that a comprehensive strategy is needed through synergy between the family, educational institutions, and the government so that the benefits of online games can be optimized, while the various risks involved can be minimized to support the healthy development of children.