How big of a problem is video game addiction? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
I think the worst thing we can do is jump to conclusions to say that video game addiction is not a real problem. I know a lot of gamers want the topic to go away - pointing to cases of addiction being overblown.
But there are people who find games addicting and something they cannot escape on their own. I can certainly relate to times in my life that I found games irresistible.
Even though the scientific consensus isn’t there for what video game addiction is exactly, or even if addiction is a proper classification for it - we shouldn’t dismiss the problems that people are having.
After all, many game publishers are calling on psychologists and the experience of casinos to figure out how to draw players in for longer periods of time while offering shallow content. I don’t know if this will result in more addiction, but it will certainly result in more low quality gaming experiences. It goes to show that the draw of games is something to be reckoned with.
That being said, I don’t fret over video game addiction.
A majority of what people call “video game addiction” is just a bad habit.
(This is tricky territory, since I am at best an amateur game designer, and absolutely not a psychologist.)
The reason we should use the lens of habits is because it lines up with how video games are designed.
The habit loop consists of a Cue, the Behavior itself, the Reward for that action, and the Craving (much of this is taken from The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg). Game designers use a different model, but the the net effect is to facilitate that cycle:
- Game designers use deep-seated desires for experiencing power and freedom to direct the design of every component of their game. This taps into natural Cravings we all have.
- Games are designed with a system of Rewards for activities to encourage you to keep playing and progressing. These systems are often multi-layered, and even scale to the player's situation in the game, and spiced up with a possibility for a jackpot.
- The Behavior, playing the game or taking specific actions within a game, is exactly what the designers are after. Keeping you engaged in the game is their prime directive.
- Games are excellent at creating Cues to act. Sometimes it is obvious like “there’s an enemy charging you,” but often it is subtle: a music cue or a HUD blip. The information presented by the game is intricately crafted to ensure the player knows what to do and when to do it.
Talking about habit-forming games may be concerning to some people, but I think it is good news. Habits are something we can understand.
Addiction is scary and permanent and damaging - but habits can be changed. And they do change quite often and naturally. Rewards and cravings eventually lose their edge and we move on.
The science of habit-forming is getting better and better - so there are techniques available to smartly break and change your habits. From what I have seen, information specific to video games isn’t widely known, but the principles of habit-forming are universal.
As people start having the conversation around “habits” rather than “addiction”, I think that the problem will shrink.
- Good information about where habits come from will prevent them from getting out of hand in the first place.
- Less stigma about gaming will remove the blocks between people and the help they need.
- Tools and guides specifically addressing gaming habits will enable people to take the steps they need.
- Often, a bad gaming habit is a symptom of another issue, so ruling out addiction as the source will lead to better outcomes.
- We’ll have a clearer picture of how games can be a positive force in someone’s life.
People are prone to bad habits, but just like everything else - awareness and a proper conversation about video game habits will turn it from a monster-in-the-closet to something we moderate naturally.
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