By Maya Belle
Mobile games are practically a part of everyday life. Whether you’re waiting for the bus, in your room late at night, or even procrastinating on work, mobile games have become a filler for when people aren’t already occupied with the day to day. However, it is easy to get addicted to these simple stimulatories, and it's important to know why, and how these games keep you occupied.
But what really defines an addiction to video games? The WHO defined a gaming disorder in 2018, and its official definition includes diverting priority to video games over basic priorities and daily activities, continuation of gaming behaviour despite negative effects. While it is important to note that this affects a very small portion of the population, and that even if you play video games every day, you aren’t addicted, it can be very easy to prioritize video games over normal activities. The main reason why it is so easy to get hooked to mobile games has mainly to do with psychology. Imagine a casino; bright flashing lights, colorful graphics, beeping, constant rewards, all of this influences us to keep playing a game. Casinos are meant to stimulate our senses and keep us occupied, and it;s the same for mobile games.
Visuals have a huge impact on our decisions. A rainbow of colours and happy, encouraging visuals will make us want to play a game more. Games like candy crush and League of Legends come at us with engaging graphics and enticing visuals, all of which attract us to a game. According to a 1995 study by Michael Hemphill, bright colors induce more positive emotions than dark ones. Another huge factor is difficulty; games may start off as extremely easy, and you may breeze through the first levels. However, the initial euphoria wears off after levels get harder. By then, the game has you hooked, and you must spend money on virtual currencies and upgrades just to give you a reward.
While it can be extremely difficult not to be addicted to these games, there are several ways you can curb your video game addiction. A great way to do this is track your screen time; both iOS and Android have built in features to monitor and limit screen time. Another good way, if you don’t completely want to limit screen time, is to spend the same amount of time outside the screen as you spend inside it. If you play a mobile game for an hour, read a book for an hour too.
In the end, developers have to make their mobile games stand out to audiences in order for them to succeed, and they have to harness basic rules of human psychology. It is what any business must do to flourish. However, you can still take measures to balance the amount of time you spend outside and inside of the screen.
References:
https://www.phonearena.com/news/is-video-game-addiction-real-why-are-mobile-games-addictive_id121197
Comments