'I Prefer to Play Alone to Recharge My Social Battery': Parent Gamer Identities in Australia

This study by Heaselgrave and Borgkvist examines how parents in Australia experience and negotiate gamer identities, an area the authors argue has received little research attention compared with studies focused on children's gaming or parental mediation. Drawing on a mixed-methods survey of almost 100 participants (41% mothers and 59% fathers) across seven Australian states and territories, the research aims to provide a demographic profile of parent gamers and to identify how gender and socio-cultural factors shape their gaming practices and sense of self as players.

The findings highlight several notable patterns. Mothers report a stronger preference for solo play than fathers, yet they spend considerably more time gaming with children than their male partners. Daily gaming is enjoyed at similar levels by both groups, but 70% of mothers play for less than an hour a day. The authors argue that these mothers do not simply fill spare moments on mobile devices, as industry segmentation such as Newzoo's "Time-Filler" persona would suggest; rather, they deliberately carve out short play windows amid paid work, unpaid domestic labour, and childcare. Both parents also self-regulate their play to model positive behaviour for children.

The authors conclude that parents are partly negotiating their gamer identities with partners, children, and through their gaming practices, but that the heavier parenting load carried by mothers reinforces gendered assumptions about parental roles. These dynamics may limit mothers' participation in gaming cultures and communities. The study positions itself as a first step toward recognising parents' gameplay for social policy, game studies, media research, and the games industry, while noting that industry persona frameworks may not adequately represent parents restricted to shorter sessions or family-rated games.