## 4 Discussion
### Limitations and Future Research Directions  
Despite some promising findings discussed above, this study has several limitations that may affect its validity and generalizability. The small sample size limits the extent to which these findings can be generalized to a broader population (other adolescent age groups, adolescents from different socioeconomic backgrounds, etc.). Similarly, the study did not collect specific socioeconomic information about our participants, and we did not establish a predefined sample size, due to the pilot nature of the study. The sample size was determined based on practical considerations (i.e., convenience sampling) such as participant availability and logistical feasibility. While this approach was suitable for a pilot study, it introduces inherent limitations. Convenience sampling may result in a sample that is not fully representative of the target population, potentially introducing selection bias. This limitation can reduce the generalizability of the findings to broader populations. Additionally, the small sample size may have limited the statistical power to detect smaller effects, thus impacting the robustness of the study's conclusions. Last, the lack of a passive control condition means that the possibility of practice effects influencing some cognitive measures cannot be completely excluded.  
Future research should aim to include a larger adequately powered sample to confirm and extend the results observed in this preliminary study, and to also include a passive control condition. Also, students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, and ages should be included to have a more representative sample. In addition, individual differences, such as prior gaming experience, were not explicitly controlled for in this study, but represent an important factor that may have influenced participants' performance, familiarity, and comfort with the gamified VR tasks. Future research should consider users' prior gaming experience before beginning the VR intervention.  
The study also lacked both short-term and long-term follow-up measures, limiting the ability to assess the lasting effects of the intervention. The study also used the BRIEF-2 questionnaire to assess the risk of ED, as has been done in previous research [47], by examining its daily impact as reported by parents and within school settings. While the BRIEF-2 provides valuable insight into everyday manifestations of ED and is recognized as an ecologically valid screening tool, it may lack the rigor and precision of other neuropsychological assessments based on experimental laboratory tasks. Future research should incorporate more rigorous neuropsychological methods to improve ED risk classification. In addition, although VR technology provides an immersive and realistic experience, some of the virtual environments used did not closely resemble real-life situations, potentially reducing the ecological validity of the intervention [93]. Finally, the requirement for a continuous Wi-Fi connection during the intervention was a potential concern, as connectivity issues could disrupt the consistency of the program and the overall dynamics of the study.