Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
2. International Digital Game Congress, Ankara, Türkiye, 2 - 05 Aralık 2024
Abstract
Introduction: The progressive evolution of digital games has significantly altered their impact on children’s lives. In Turkey, widely played games such as GTA V, Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite, and Garena Free Fire dominate gaming preferences and garner substantial viewership on YouTube. This platform doesn't have strong rules for checking content, which raises serious concerns about kids seeing harmful material.
Method: This research employed a systematic content analysis approach, focusing on the ten most-viewed YouTube videos for each selected game over the past year. Videos were evaluated based on predefined harmful content criteria, including the presence of profanity, violence, sexual themes, and behaviors promoting risky actions. Daily viewership rates were computed, and statistical techniques, such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation, were utilized to examine the association between harmful content prevalence and viewership metrics.
Results: The analysis identified significant disparities in harmful content prevalence among the games. Videos related to GTA V exhibited the highest levels of harmful content (85%), while Minecraft had the lowest (35%). A positive correlation (r = 0.72, p < 0.01) was observed between daily viewership rates and the prevalence of harmful content. Notably, even games like Minecraft, traditionally considered child-friendly, exhibited substantial harmful content depending on the creator’s influence over video content.
Conclusion: Our research findings indicate that YouTube videos associated with popular digital games may pose more significant risks to children than the games themselves. The study highlights the need for enhanced content moderation mechanisms on YouTube and increased parental oversight to safeguard children from harmful online exposure.
Keywords: Digital gaming, YouTube, harmful content, child safety,