Notes

Despite Their Reputation Among Youth (ages 6 - 14)
This dissertation endeavors to deeply understand the features of Minecraft servers explicitly created for youth by way of three research utilizing blended methods analysis. Just Say Yes Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) analysis reveals that sandbox-type virtual world video games like Minecraft operate as interest-driven areas the place youth can explore their inventive interests, build technical expertise, and type social connections with friends and close to-friends. Regardless of their recognition among youth (ages 6 - 14), we know little in regards to the social and technological features of "in-the-wild" Minecraft servers that current themselves as "kid-friendly" or "family-pleasant." The goals of this work are three-fold:1. To investigate the rhetoric of child-/family-friendliness and the socio-technical mechanisms of such servers (Study I: 60 servers), 2. To grasp the lived experiences of server staff who moderate on such servers (Research II: Eight youth and 22 moderators), and 3. To explore a design paradigm for technological mechanisms that leverage the strengths of a child-/household-friendly server community while additionally supporting moderators' practices (Study III) I draw from interdisciplinary theories and construction this dissertation round two primary arguments about child-/household-pleasant Minecraft server ecosystems. First, I argue that they're instantiations of play-primarily based affinity networks created by adults that promote alternatives for youth to discover their pursuits and social connections. Second, I argue that the social and technological mechanisms reflected in the server rules and moderators' practices are characteristic of servers that self-describe as kid-/family-pleasant. Study I contributes a taxonomy for understanding server rules and an empirical characterization of three server genres - kid-/family-friendly (n1 = 19); general-household-friendly (n2 = 20); and basic (n3 = 20) in Minecraft. Study II reveals moderators' motivations and socio-technical practices in child-/household-pleasant servers. The findings present that grownup moderators encourage youth-led artistic roleplays, assist the interests of young players (e.g., Hogwarts virtual world, digital Pleasure Day celebrations, and many others.), and provide mentorship to youth moderators on their servers. Research III theorizes the potential for automated prosocial instruments in play-based spaces by way of a Discord Bot referred to as "UCIProsocialBot" within OhanaCraft, one among the child-/family-friendly server communities. Together, these findings present a set of social and technological options which will substantiate a mannequin for designing child-/household-friendly on-line playgrounds. This work theorizes that child-/family-friendly servers can actualize constructive youth development when their self-narratives, social practices, and technological mechanisms are aligned with adolescent developmental wants.

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