Interaction, Identity, Ritual Co-Operative Video Gaming as a Practice That Fosters Family Cohesion and Meaning-Making: Findings from a Qualitative Study

Video games have received increasing scholarly attention within family research, yet most studies continue to focus on individual outcomes, psychological effects, or problematic use. This study examines video games as family practices and explores the conditions under which shared gaming becomes a digital family ritual. Drawing on an integrated framework of neo-Durkheimian ritual theory, ritual communication, symbolic interactionism, and family ritual theory, the study applies reflexive thematic analysis to 45 semi-structured interviews conducted with Hungarian participants. The findings suggest that gaming becomes ritualised when embedded in recurring interaction, shared participation, and collective meaning-making. Shared gaming contributes to family bonding, the creation of shared memories and narratives, and the maintenance of a common world of meaning. At the same time, gaming functions as a relational arena in which family members negotiate autonomy, authority, identity, and generational boundaries. The study conceptualises family gaming as a digital ritual practice through which family relationships are continuously produced, negotiated, and transformed.