Video games have been
a highly controversial topic throughout their lifespan, with some viewing them
as beneficial and others as detrimental. During their transition to college,
students may engage in video gaming in healthy or unhealthy ways. The authors
examine this college transition through the lens of Schlossberg’s (2008)
transition theory to analyze current literature and inform recommendations for
higher education student affairs (HESA) professionals. HESA professionals must
understand how to support students’ holistic development, particularly those
struggling with the transition to college. This literature review explores how
collegiate video gaming informs the efforts of student-facing HESA
professionals to engage and support students through anticipated and
unanticipated transitions in higher education. Applying Schlossberg’s four S’s
framework—situation, support, self, and strategies—the authors synthesize
research on the role of video gaming in college adjustment, emotion regulation,
and social connection. This review reveals that video gaming can serve as both
a constructive coping mechanism and a potential source of difficulty, depending
on context and usage patterns. The authors challenge the prevailing
deficit-based perspective on collegiate gaming and advocate for a
strength-based approach that recognizes gaming as a legitimate tool for student
development. Recommendations for practice and future research are provided for HESA
scholar-practitioners.
