One example of Problematic internet usage is gaming addiction. The online space that this most often falls under is the MMOG space, though addiction to online gambling is also highly prevalent. The very design of most popular MMOG's is intended to cause players to become increasingly involved in the game they are playing. Players tend to commit increasingly greater amounts of time to games such as World of Warcraft the longer they continue playing. A major factor in why MMOG's develop addictions among players is the nature of rewards in the game. In order for people to continue enjoying and being entertained by MMOG's, it is necessary that there be a constant stream of tangible rewards. Many games have systems for completing quests and other tasks that allow a person instant gratification upon accomplishing a task. It is a very idealized and unrealistic rewards system. In real life, not everything you do is met with a reward or praise. This type of instant gratification makes people more likely to increase their playtime while neglecting their real world responsibilities. The absence of an in game clock, as simple as it sounds, makes it so players lose track of time more easily and end up putting in far longer hours than they at first planned. The subscription nature of most MMOG's also means that players pay monthly in order to play. With the monthly fee comes great technical support and lots of additional content. In order to get the greatest advantage and experience all the additional content you are paying for, a player has to play a lot more than was first intended or expected. MMOG's require a growing investment of one's time as one continues playing. This online space's tendencies toward Problematic Internet Use coincide with Caplan's model in that the MMOG space is found to be less threatening than other online spaces and certain ftf interactions. Those with low social competence will find MMOG's to be a place in which good social standing can be achieved more easily with the help of one's skill as a player. In this way it is clear that MMOG's exhibit a number of factors that contribute to their success and widespread appeal. These same beneficial factors are also some of the main reasons why these games are so easy to get addicted to.
Eric
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6 comments:
Eric,
I definitely agree with you about the idea of instant gratification fostering addiction. Those with psychosocial problems, in particular, will find the gaming world to be a much happier and pleasing place to be than the real world. Also, the gaming world allows a player to be whoever they want. Since there is a good chance that nobody who he plays against knows him, a gamer is able to change is personality, appearence, and influence the way he is percieved. Thus, if he is not happy with himself or how others see him (which may be a cause or a response to the psychosocial problems), online gaming allows him a place to entirely reinvent himself.
Someone close to me became addicted to the online game Everquest many years back. So, I can say from personal observation that you are correct about the in-game clock. This guy never kept track of how long he spent sitting in front of his computer playing the game. He would play until 5 or 6 in the morning just because time wasn't a consideration in Everquest. Also, what I found with him was that he played so he could get better and improve his rank, but once he was high rank, he wanted to play more and more so that he could be the BEST and stay highly ranked. This circle of wanting and needing to be better was neverending. Finally, when his grades suffered enough to get him worried, he was able to pull away from the game and come back to the real world. But great job with the post - all of your conclusions are very accurate in my experience!
-Emily
Throughout this class, i have realized how big of a role online games play on the internet. I didnt know that there was not an in-game clock on the games, which makes a lot of sense as it seems it is easy to lose track of time while playing. Im not too familiar with this hobby, so its always interesting to learn more about it, since it seems it can be a big part of someone's life.
In a public speaking class i took, someone did their speech on their addiction to the internet, particularly online games. He specified how it he legitimately missed playing while he was at school, and often struggled to pull himself away once he was playing. He described purchasing hundreds of dollars on computer equipment to enhance his quality of playing as well. So I think you hit the nail right on the head with your conclusion that online games can lead to problematic internet use.
Although there are clearly various elements of these games that lure people into addiction, i wonder if for some people it is individual characteristics that drive them to become "gamers" so to speak. Perhaps a discomfort in social situations might make interacting online more attractive? It is interesting to speculate.
Hey Eric,
I think that the addictiveness of WoW can be incredibly problematic and I think you do a great job of pointing that out. I think it's interesting that in China, WoW players have occasionally died from 48 hour+ gaming sessions. China reacted to this problem by making it a law that gamers could not play for more than six hours at a time (if memory serves me correctly). The saddest part is that often times these gamers even have their funerals in WoW, suggesting that it completely replaces reality for some people.
I think you noted its addictive qualities fairly well. I think one of the most insidiously addictive qualities is the constant expansion in leveling, preventing a player from ever "winning." And staying on top requires that you play very large amounts.
I have a friend that ultimately dropped out of college due to playing WoW 12 hours a day, and his situation supported the Caplan model in that he most likely had the psychosocial issue of loneliness driving his preference for online interactions. Overall, Great post!
-Brian
Eric,
I agree with you that people seek mediums and games in which they receive instant gratification. Thus, they keep doing what they're doing, and to them, everything is well. A friend of mine, actually has a betting problem and I've tried to step in and prevent it from getting worse, yet the gratification he receives from winning money (at times not much), is to me, ridiculous.
More about your post- nice job, you explain everything and what you're say very well. I would have liked to see a bit more connection to Canal, but I agree with your initial connections. Nice job, and looking forward to reading more...
Eric,
I liked how you analyzed the instant gratification system in most MMOG's. I feel that you were very accurate in labeling that as a good reason to long excessive hours and complete long task. Also being able to play at all times for as long as you want is also a good point for PIU. I knew a few people who were addicted to WoW for these 2 reasons alone. To strengthen your argument you might want to analyze Davis(2000). It would explain other things in real life, such as depression that would make someone want to play a video game more. Good post.
Eric,
I definitely agree with you about the gratification online gaming gives to many people. I was not aware till this semester that this is a growing problem until I read some articles in the WSJ regarding second life and avatars. In this article, people would literally live through their daily lives online. It's pretty sad to say the least. Many even have spouses online, leaving their spouses in the real world widowed. It's a sad truth that gaming is becoming associated with psychosoial problems and PIU.
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