Why do we get hooked on video games?
Changing behavior is difficult, especially when it stems from an addiction, in this case to video games. Understanding the nature of how we become addicted can be the first step toward changing that behavior.
There is no doubt that the video game sector is booming. In fact, it has welcomed 500 million new fans in the last three years, and now the value of the global video game industry exceeds €250 billion , according to a report by Accenture . The report states that 74% of people say that COVID-19 has led to increased social interaction through video games, and 73% expect this to continue. This indicates that it is not a passing fad.
Numerous exhibitions on this topic are taking place in major cities, such as "Homo Ludens: Video Games to Understand the Present," which was on display at the CaixaForum in Madrid in July 2021, or "New Screen: Video Games in Catalonia," which was shown at the Palau Robert in Barcelona in June and July 2022, in addition to other types of activities.
Comics to prevent behavioral addictions
Furthermore, the esports industry continues to grow, where, just like in football or basketball, professional teams of men and women play before an audience eager to see their progress and the competition in the most popular video games. Training in this sector ranges from specialized academies to university degrees and postgraduate programs. One of the most famous examples is the Koi team, which FC Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué and streamer and broadcaster Ibai Llanos presented to fans in an exhibition match, the process of which they documented. Many universities even boast about the facilities they have set up for esports .
The positive aspects of gaming are frequently praised within the video game industry. Some of the most common and well-supported claims are that it helps reduce feelings of loneliness and anxiety in older adults and even helps improve their physical activity. The use of video games to promote gender equality, sustainability, learning, and health is also often encouraged.
What are dark patterns in video games?
However, there are always two sides to every coin. To maintain attention and engagement, video game designers sometimes use techniques that exploit psychological vulnerability. One example of this is dark patterns . By definition, a dark pattern is an element deliberately added to a game to cause an unwanted negative experience for the player, with a positive outcome for the game developer. There are different types of dark patterns: temporal, monetary, social, and psychological.
A temporal and monetary pattern leads you to spend more time and money respectively than you would have otherwise; social patterns use the relationships a person has with their friends and family to benefit the game; and in the case of psychological patterns, tricks are used to lead us to think in a way that also benefits the game.
To maintain attention and engagement, video game designers sometimes use techniques that exploit psychological vulnerability.
Understanding how they work and reflecting on it can be a good practice to realize how, when we are hooked, we lose control over time, money, our relationships, and even our way of thinking.
Problems with internet and video game addiction are increasing among Catalan teenagers.
A widely used example of a temporal pattern is that of daily rewards : if you don't play the game every day, you'll lose a reward. This pattern is connected to the well-known FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) . Literally, the fear of being out and missing something important. Indeed, fear is one of the emotions most frequently used in these patterns for manipulation. In the case of monetary patterns, it's called Scarcity , which leads users to try to acquire goods that are artificially presented as scarce.
The social component is also heavily used. One example is the pattern known as social obligation, where the user plays due to social pressure and the obligation not to disappoint friends or family. Fear is again very present in psychological patterns, exploiting the fear of losing objects or completing tasks that have taken many hours of gameplay to obtain.
Dark patterns can be temporary, monetary, social, and psychological, and fear is one of the most commonly used feelings for manipulation.
Children and teenagers are a particularly vulnerable user group , as at this age we haven't yet developed full self-control, a capacity we sometimes don't acquire until after age 25. For them, it's easy to be swept away by emotions, both negative and positive, because these appeal to the most primitive part of our brain. One of the clearest examples is survival games, which often contain a lot of action and violence. The addiction to these video games is so strong that users frequently lose track of time.
Reflecting on the causes of addiction can help, above all, to understand one's own behavior and empower users to be the agents of change.
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