Ideas for Making Video Games Less Addictive

Could and should video game designers take responsibility for making their games less addictive? Perhaps. While there is no conclusive evidence that video gaming is addictive, at least for 7 to 11 percent of people, depending on the studies you look at, compulsive gaming is a problem. British researchers have suggested, in a recent paper, that some meaningful changes in game development, which could include making missions shorter or increasing the value and usefulness of randomly generated in-game items, might help. Of course, whether game publishers will act against their financial interests is another question.

Video Games and Violence – Fed Wants More Research

Although studies, with the exception of a few, have pointed out that a connection between fantasy video game violence and real-world violence doesn't, in fact, exist, the Centers for Disease Control is stepping up its efforts, at the tune of $10 million funded by Congress, to research a possible link between the two. The research is to focus on characteristics of firearm violence; risk factors; interventions and strategies; gun safety technology; and the influence of video games and other media. The results will be available in three to five years.

Fear Can Fuel Facebook Addiction

Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks are particularly addictive for people who experience an intense "fear of missing out," researchers say. The urge to see what one's friends are up to can lead such people to neglect or undervalue their own lives and interests, lead researcher Andy Przybylski says. "We have to learn new skills to control our usage and enjoy social media in moderation. Until we do, it creates a double-edged sword aspect to social media," he says.

Parents Take Heart: Social Gaming Numbers on Facebook Are Down

Social gaming seems to be decreasing on Facebook. Electronic Arts, one of the biggest game creators, announced that while digital revenues increased this past quarter, the total monthly user count fell to 42 million, compared with 101 million a year earlier. Facebook has also recently acknowledged the slowdown, saying that payment revenue is declining as fewer people spend money on virtual goods inside of social games. 

New Study Examines Facebook Addiction

A new study about the motivation to spend time on Facebook reveals that personality and the desire to be entertained are two of the biggest predictors of Facebook addiction. The researchers found that entertainment and passing time, along with information seeking, to be the top driving forces for visiting the social site. Oddly enough, maintaining relationships wasn’t found to be the top factor, as many would expect.

Facebook Factoids

Researchers have come up with a 6 question questionnaire that they say can determine whether someone is clinically addicted to Facebook. People who try and fail to limit their Facebook usage, who turn to the social network to deal with negative moods or emotions, or who become irritable when denied access to the site could all be at risk of real psychological addiction, researchers say. In other polling news, it was found that of all Facebook users, 80% have yet to buy a product or use a service as a result of either ads or comments on the site. Also, about a third of users polled said they spend less time on Facebook than they did six months ago, compared with 20% who said they now spend more time on the site.

Video Game Addiction Studied

The debate about video game addiction has been kicked off again in part because of the new motion-sensing technologies like the recently announced Avatar Kinect from Microsoft, which one expert says lets people “'suspend disbelief' and immerse themselves cognitively in the environment.” In other words, if the technology becomes interactive enough it can become compellingly addictive. A recent study, done is Hong Kong and Singapore, also has added fuel to the fire finding that nearly ten percent of young video gamers can suffer pathological addiction to their games, although other experts say the issue – the addiction, compulsion or obsession – is likely to remain limited to a small subset of gamers.

Video Game Addiction Studied

The debate about video game addiction has been kicked off again in part because of the new motion-sensing technologies like the recently announced Avatar Kinect from Microsoft, which one expert says lets people “'suspend disbelief' and immerse themselves cognitively in the environment.” In other words, if the technology becomes interactive enough it can become compellingly addictive. A recent study, done is Hong Kong and Singapore, also has added fuel to the fire finding that nearly ten percent of young video gamers can suffer pathological addiction to their games, although other experts say the issue – the addiction, compulsion or obsession – is likely to remain limited to a small subset of gamers.