Digital trust in gaming communities: chained mediation by perceived media realism and group identity among university students

Introduction: With the rapid development of Web 3.0 and the metaverse, game communities have evolved into complex social ecosystems. In these environments, digital trust is essential for maintaining user engagement and fostering cooperation. This study aims to explore the influence of game community participation on users' digital trust, as well as the mediating roles of perceived media realism and group identity. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 494 university students in Jiangsu, China. Validated scales were used to measure the constructs of interest. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data and test the hypothesized relationships. Results: The results indicate that game community participation has a positive impact on digital trust. Both perceived media realism and group identity significantly mediate this relationship. Additionally, a significant chain mediation effect was observed, where perceived media realism influences digital trust through group identity. Discussion: This study provides a theoretical basis for understanding the dynamics of digital trust within game communities. The findings suggest that enhancing perceived media realism and fostering group identity can promote higher levels of digital trust among users. These insights are valuable for guiding the healthy development of gaming communities in the context of Web 3.0 and the metaverse.