Asia Review 2025 KCI Impact Factor : 1.14
-
pISSN : 2234-0386
- https://journal.kci.go.kr/asiareview
KJCKorea
Journal Central
Why Are Indian Youth Enthusiastic about Mobile Games?: Patterns of Mobile Gaming Experience and Social Network Formation Among Indian Young Adults
- Asia Review
- Abbr : SNUACAR
- 2025, 15(3), pp.49~91
- DOI : 10.24987/SNUACAR.2025.12.15.3.49
- Publisher : 아시아연구소
- Research Area : Social Science > Social Science in general
- Received : October 13, 2025
- Accepted : December 15, 2025
- Published : December 31, 2025
Sung Yong Kang 1, Eunyoung Nam 1
1서울대학교 아시아연구소
Accredited
ABSTRACT
This study analyzes the sociopolitical context of mobile gaming in India and examines how online games influence patterns of social network formation, levels of social trust, and attitudes toward openness among young mobile-game users within the highly segmented Indian society. The analysis is based on survey results from a university student population.
Measures included items related to social consciousness―such as trust, tolerance, identity, fairness, and perceptions of inequality―as well as questions concerning quality of life and mobile-gaming behavior.
The findings show that among young adults with mobile multiplayer gaming experience, the social significance of games, now firmly established as e-sports, has become noticeably prominent. Respondents reported that mobile games “enhance teamwork and cooperation,” “enable communication with others,” and “promote a spirit of challenge.” Importantly, in India, where friendship networks are often strongly restricted by caste boundaries, mobile gaming has enabled young players to experience achievements based on individual performance within anonymous cyber spaces and through cooperative interactions with diverse participants.
In other words, the results confirm that mobile games in India are opening possibilities for interactions and exchanges across heterogeneous social groups.
Statistics
-
250 Viewed
-
218 Downloaded
Tools
Issue List
Citation status
* References for papers published after 2025 are currently being built.
[web]
김경학
/ 남성도 여성도 아닌, 제3의 성: 남아시아의 성소수자 히즈라(Hijra)
/ 아아 Asia & Asias
/ 서울대학교 아시아연구소
/ https://snuacwebzine.snu.ac.kr/?p=5849
[book]
모디, 아쇼카
/ 2024
/ 두 개의 인도: 인도, G3로 가는가 여기서 멈추는가
/ 생각의 힘
[report]
전종섭
/ 2024
/ 2024 해외 시장의 한국 게임 이용자 조사 (아시아)
/ 한국콘텐츠진흥원
[web]
한국콘텐츠진흥원
/ 2025
/ 인도 콘텐츠 산업동향: 인도 e스포츠 열풍
/ 한국콘텐츠진흥원
/ https://welcon.kocca.kr/ko/info/trend/1956085
[journal]
Adeney, K.
/ 2019
/ Power-Sharing in the World's Largest Democracy: Informal Consociationalism in India (and Its Decline?)
/ Swiss Political Science Review
25(4)
: 450~475
[journal]
Afridi, F.
/ 2024
/ The Ties That Bind Us: Social Networks and Productivity in the Factory
/ Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
218
: 470~485
[confproc]
Ajjar, N. H.
/ 2017
/ Impact of Online Games among Young People in India
/ Research in Digital Revolution and New India. Proceedings of Conference "Research in Digital Revolution and New India." eds. by A. Ramachander, Ch. Bagrecha and G.G. Prashanthi.
/ Adarsh Institute of Management and Information Technology and Association of Indian Management Schools
: 225~227
[report]
Arora, S.
/ 2009
/ Caste as Community? Networks of Social Affinity in a South Indian Village
/ UNU-MERIT
[other]
Bahl, Shweta
/ 2023
/ Informality, Education-Occupation Mismatch, and Wages: Evidence from India
/ arXiv preprint arXiv:2302.12999
[journal]
Bardhan, Pranab
/ 2022
/ The 'New' India
/ New Left Review
136
: 5~27
[journal]
Basu, A.
/ 2016
/ Genomic Reconstruction of the History of Extant Populations of India
/ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
113(6)
: 1594~1599
[book]
Bayly, Susan
/ 2001
/ Caste, Society and Politics in India from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Age
/ Cambridge University Press
[journal]
Béteille, André
/ 1996
/ Varna and Jati
/ Sociological Bulletin
45(1)
: 15~27
[journal]
Bose, A.
/ 2021
/ Integrating Linguistics, Social Structure, and Geography to Model Genetic Substructure in India
/ Molecular Biology and Evolution
38(5)
: 1809~1819
[report]
Chandola, Basu
/ 2024
/ Harnessing the Potential of Online Gaming in India
/ Observer Research Foundation. ORF
[journal]
Chatterjee, P.
/ 2023
/ When Social Identities Intersect: Understanding Inequities in Growth Outcomes by Religion-caste and Religion-tribe as Intersecting Strata of Social Hierarchy for Muslim and Hindu Children in India
/ International Journal for Equity in Health
22(1)
: 115~
[report]
Das, K.
/ 2011
/ Dynamics of Inter-Religious and Inter-Caste Marriages in India
/ Population Association of America
[journal]
Datta, B. K.
/ 2024
/ Health Disparity at the Intersection of Religion and Caste: Evidence from India
/ Dialogues in Health
5
: 100186~
[journal]
Desai, S.
/ 2012
/ Caste in 21st Century India: Competing Narratives
/ Economic and Political Weekly
12(11)
: 40~49
[journal]
Desai, S.
/ 2008
/ Changing Educational Inequalities in India in the Context of Affirmative Action
/ Demography
45(2)
: 245~270
[book]
Dirks, Nicholas B.
/ 2001
/ Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the Making of Modern India
/ Princeton University Press
[journal]
Dongardive, P. B.
/ 2023
/ Inter-caste, Inter-ethnic and Interreligious Marriages in India
/ Population Geography
45(1)
: 81~98
[journal]
Drèze J.
/ 2001
/ School Participation in Rural India
/ Review of Development Economics
5(1)
: 1~24
[journal]
Driver, Edwin D.
/ 1962
/ Caste and Occupational Structure in Central India
/ Social Forces
41(1)
: 26~31
[book]
Dumont, L.
/ 1980
/ Homo Hierarchicus: An Essay on the Caste System
/ University of Chicago Press
[journal]
Gogoi, P.
/ 2025
/ The Gender Inequality in Education and Employment: A Study in India
/ International Journal of Economics and Management Review (IJEMR)
3(1)
: 34~41
[journal]
Gupta, A.
/ 2020
/ Caste, Religion, and Mental Health in India
/ Population Research and Policy Review
39(6)
: 1119~1141
[journal]
Inal Y.
/ 2007
/ Flow Experiences of Children in an Interacive Social Game Environment
/ British Journal of Educational Technology
38(3)
: 455~464
[book]
Katz, E.
/ 1974
/ The Uses of Mass Communications: Current Perspectives on Gratification Research
/ Sage
[journal]
Hamari J.
/ 2017
/ What is eSports and Why do People Watch it?
/ Internet Research
27(2)
: 211~232
[book]
Hansen, T. Blom
/ 1999
/ The Saffron Wave: Democracy and Hindu Nationalism in Modern India
/ Princeton University Press
[journal]
Hemphill, D.
/ 2005
/ Cybersport
/ Journal of Philosophy of Sport
32(2)
: 195~207
[web]
HT Studio
/ 2020
/ Mobile Gaming is One of the Fastest Growing Industry in India
/ Mint
/ https://www.livemint.com/brand-post/mobile-gaming-is-one-ofthe-fastest-growing-industries-in-india-11603284024487.html
[journal]
Jaffrelot, Christophe
/ 2000
/ The Rise of the Other Backward Classes in the Hindi Belt
/ Journal of Asian Studies
59(1)
: 86~108
[book]
Jaffrelot, Christophe
/ 2003
/ India's Silent Revolution: The Rise of the Lower Castes in North India
/ C. Hurst & Co. Publishers
[book]
Jaffrelot, Christophe
/ 2011
/ Religion, Caste, and Politics in India
/ C. Hurst & Co. Publishers
[book]
Jaffrelot, C.
/ 2009
/ Rise of the Plebeians? The Changing Face of the Indian Legislative Assemblies
/ Routledge India
[web]
Kulesh, S.
/ 2021
/ Redmi Will Launch Its First Gaming Phone in April, Said to Be Cost-Effective Flagship
/ NDTV Gadgets 360
/ https://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/redmi-gaming-phone-launch-april-end-xiaomi-call-of-dutymobile-partnership-lu-weibing-2412567
[journal]
Leung, L.
/ 2000
/ More than just Talk: Uses, Gratifications, and the Cellular Phone
/ Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly
77(2)
: 308~320
[journal]
Lijphart, A.
/ 1996
/ The Puzzle of Indian Democracy: A Consociational Interpretation
/ American Political Science Review
90(2)
: 258~268
[book]
Lu, A. H.
/ 2021
/ Social Capital: Issues, Challenges and Perspectives
/ Nova Science Publ
: 73~109
[journal]
Mahal, D. G.
/ 2018
/ The Geographic Origins of Ethnic Groups in the Indian Subcontinent: Exploring Ancient Footprints with Y-DNA Haplogroups
/ Frontiers in Genetics
9(4)
[report]
Maximize Market Research Pvt. Ltd
/ 2024
/ India Gaming Market: Industry analysis and forecast (2024-2030)
/ Maximize Market Research
[book]
Michelutti, L.
/ 2009
/ The Vernacularisation of Democracy: Politics, Caste and Religion in India
/ Routledge India
[journal]
Mohapatra, S.
/ 2014
/ Educational Returns Beyond the Mean: Differences Along Wage Distributions of Men and Women in India's Formal Labour Market
/ International Journal of Educational Development
36
: 22~32
[journal]
Molyneux, L.
/ 2015
/ Gaming Social Capital: Exploring Civic Value in Multiplayer Video Games
/ Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
20(4)
: 381~399
[journal]
Narasimhan, V. M.
/ 2019
/ The Formation of Human Populations in South and Central Asia
/ Science
365(6457)
[book]
Nayar, Baldev Raj
/ 1969
/ National Communication and Language Policy in India
/ F. A. Praeger
[journal]
Ni, Sh
/ 2023
/ The Influence of Online Multiplayer Games on Social Capital and Interdependent Well-Being in Japan
/ Entertainment Computing
47
: 100587~
[journal]
Orzack, M. H.
/ 1999
/ Treatment of Computer Addicts with Complex Co-Morbid Psychiatric Disorders
/ CyberPsychology and Behavior
2(5)
: 326~346
[journal]
Pampi, Mudang
/ 2021
/ A Blur Line Between Hobby and Addiction: Online Video Gaming Among the Youth of Arunachal Pradesh
/ The Oriental Anthropologist
21(1)
: 116~124
[web]
Pandya, Bharti
/ 2019
/ Indian "Gaming Sector Turning into a Mobile-First World."
/ India Entrepreneur
/ https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/333277
[book]
Panikkar, K. M.
/ 1959
/ Geographic Factors in Indian History
/ Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan
[report]
Pricewaterhouse Coopers India
/ 2024
/ From Sunrise to Sunshine: Online Gaming to the Viksit Bharat Journey
/ PwC India
[journal]
Przybylski A. K.
/ 2012
/ The Ideal Self at Play: The Appeal of Video Games That let You Be All You Can Be
/ Psychological Science
23(1)
: 69~76
[journal]
Pugalendhi, R.
/ 2012
/ Impact Study of PUBG Game Addiction on Consumer Culture of Chennai Urban Students
/ International Journal of Science, Technology and Management
8(11)
: 57~61
[journal]
Rajappa, A.
/ 2024
/ 'I Don't Play Games': Migrant Workers and Digital Media in Bengaluru
/ Society and Culture in South Asia
10(2)
: 255~276
[journal]
Rajput, G.
/ 2025
/ Growth of E-Sports in India: Awareness and Impact amongst the New Generation
/ International Journal of All Subject Research
4(5)
: 10~13
[journal]
Sai Bhavana, B.
/ 2023
/ A study on Impact of E-Sports on Youth with Special Reference to Hyderabad Region
/ Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research
10(8)
: 90~110
[book]
Shani, Ornit
/ 2007
/ Communalism, Caste and Hindu Nationalism: The Violence of Chosen Identities in India
/ Cambridge University Press
[journal]
Sheikh, S. M.
/ 2019
/ Gender Inequality in Labour Market: Case of India
/ Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research
6(5)
: 2750~2754
[book]
Sherry, J. L.
/ 2006
/ Playing Computer Games: Motives, Responses, and Consequences
/ Lawrence Erlbaum
[journal]
Singh, Indervir
/ 2012
/ Social Norms and Occupational Choice: the Case of Caste System in India
/ Indian Journal of Economics and Business
11(2)
: 431~454
[journal]
Singh, G.
/ 2019
/ Recasting Inequality: Residential Segregation by Caste over Time in Urban India
/ Environment & Urbanization
31(2)
: 615~634
[journal]
Singh, Sumanjeet
/ 2016
/ The State of Gender Inequality in India
/ Gender Studies
15(1)
: 139~157
[journal]
Singh, Umendra
/ 2019
/ A Comparative Study of the Trends of Public Expenditure on Education
/ Journal of Economic and Social Development
15(1)
: 111~128
[book]
Srivastava S.
/ 2024
/ Digital Infrastructure-Investing in the Future for a Viksit Bharat
/ Broadband India Forum
[book]
Subramania, Ajantha
/ 2019
/ The Caste of Merit: Engineering Education in India
/ Harvard University Press
[journal]
Suler, J.
/ 2004
/ Computer and Cyberspace "Addiction"
/ International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies
1(4)
: 359~362
[journal]
Thirumal, P.
/ 2021
/ Regurgitative Violence: The Sacred and the Profane in Higher Education Institutions in India
/ Economic & Political Weekly
56(23)
: 15~18
[confproc]
Vorderer, P.
/ 2003
/ Explaining the Enjoyment of Playing Video Games: The Role of Competition
/ Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Entertainment Computing
: 1~8
[book]
Weber, Max
/ 1921
/ Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Religionssoziologie
/ J.C.B. Mohr
[journal]
Widmalm, Sten
/ 2007
/ Trust and Tolerance in India: Findings from Madhya Pradesh and Kerala
/ India Review
4(3-4)
: 233~257
[journal]
Wilkinson, Steven Ian
/ 2000
/ Consociational Theory, and Ethnic Violence
/ Asian Survey
40(5)
: 767~791
[thesis]
Yoo, H. L.
/ 2002
/ Motivations and Usage of Electronic Gaming
/ Master
/ University of Wisconsin-Madison
[journal]
Yoon, Jae Ro
/ 2025
/ India's Digital Transformation: Building Inclusive Infrastructure through DPI
/ World Economy Brief
15(21)
: 1~5
[journal]
Young, K. S.
/ 1998
/ Internet Addiction: The Emergence of a New Clinical Disorder
/ Cyber Psychology and Behavior
1(3)
: 237~244
[journal]
Zhong, Z.-J.
/ 2011
/ The Effects of Collective MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) Play on Gamers' Online and Offline Social Capital
/ Computers in Human Behavior
27(6)
: 2352~2363
[web]
대외경제정책연구원
/ 2025
/ AIF 인도 ·남아시아
/ 대외경제정책연구원
/ https://www.kiep.re.kr›aif›menu.es
[web]
주인도 대한민국 대사관
/ 2025
/ 최근 인도 경제동향
/ https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/inko/brd/m_28249/view.do?seq=43&page=1
[web]
Pew Research Center
/ 2021
/ Religion in India: Tolerance and Segregation
/ www.pewresearch.org
[web]
Roy, Anup
/ 2024
/ Young Indians more likely to be jobless if they are educated: ILO data
/ https://www.business-standard.com