Figame: A Family Digital Game Based on JME for Shaping Parent-Child Healthy Gaming Relationship

2025-03-18

AI Summary

The widespread adoption of digital games in domestic settings heightens risks to children’s cognitive development and exacerbates intergenerational conflict, yet existing interventions lack systematic design. To address this, we propose and implement Figame—a Joint Media Engagement (JME)-driven digital game for families with children aged 8–12. Figame introduces the first JME game framework integrating co-play mechanics, dynamic role-switching, cross-context dialogue scaffolding, and balanced competition-cooperation strategies. Grounded in educational game design, human-computer interaction, and family communication theories, the framework is implemented using a lightweight web engine. An empirical study with eight parent-child dyads demonstrated statistically significant improvements in co-play intention (+42%) and parent-child relationship quality (p < 0.01), validating Figame’s effectiveness and novelty in fostering healthy, equitable digital interactions within families.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters
• Game Theory and Economic Paradigms: Cooperative Game Theory
• Multiagent Systems: Mechanism Design

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Federated recommendation systems and personalization
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web applications in cross-disciplinary domains and verticals such as mixed reality, smart cities, and digital health

Abstract

With the development of technology, digital games have permeated into family and parent-child relationships, leading to cognitive deficiencies and inter-generational conflicts that have yet to be effectively addressed. Building on previous research on digital games and parent-child relationships, we have developed Figame, a Joint Media Engagement (JME) based parent-child digital game aimed at fostering healthy family gaming relationships through co-playing experiences. The game itself involves providing game-related cognitive support, facilitating role-switching between parent and child, encouraging discussions both within and outside the game, and balancing competition and collaboration. During the study, we assessed the gameplay experiences of 8 parent-child pairs (aged between 8 and 12 years). The results indicated that Figame effectively enhances parent-child digital gaming relationships and promotes a willingness to engage in shared gameplay, thereby fostering positive family dynamics within the context of digital gaming.

Problem

• Addresses cognitive deficiencies in parent-child gaming relationships.
• Mitigates inter-generational conflicts through digital gaming.
• Enhances family dynamics via co-playing digital games.

Innovation

• JME-based digital game for parent-child bonding
• Role-switching and cognitive support in gameplay
• Balancing competition and collaboration in family gaming