Videogame Abuse: the state of the debate

Transcription

1 Videogame Abuse: the state of the debate Peter Churchill AHS Child and Adolescent Addiction and Mental Health Program, PChAD Program Purpose 1. Features and risk factors of video games and related media 2. Impact of video games on development and health 3. Assessment and treatment of video game abuse in youth 4. How resiliency principles can support impacted youth and families Why Talk About Games? Video games have become the dominant entertainment medium Successful games are extremely compelling, despite often disturbing content A norm of long hours of use is potentially costly to social development, family relationships, academic success and physical health Despite this, many clinicians are unfamiliar with this world, and are not equipped to discuss or assess use with their clients

2 Overview 1. The Wide World of Games 2. As Addictive as Crack 3. The Price of Play 4. Approach with Caution The Wide World of Games What are people playing? Types of games Features of games Popularity of games How Popular are Videogames? Movies in billion revenue Videogames in billion revenue 2008 iphone sales 4 million units 2008 Portable game sales 13.4 million units

3 Shooters What are these games? Solo Play Typically a set story taking hours to complete Less entertainment per dollar Usually the same experience every time When it s over, it s over Easier to set aside Note that most games have both options, and all online games have a multiplayer or team mode Multiplayer or Team Play Typically open ended Range of goals/tasks More entertainment per dollar Different every time Competing against real people Co-operating with real people and committed to them! Harder to set aside Narrative Structures Linear: Events tell one or more set stories, with goals in a more or less prescribed order Sandbox: Characters and story elements can be encountered in any order, usually on large open maps, possibly affecting options and outcomes Many games use both structures, such as linear narrative in single player mode, and sandbox in group or team play.

4 Halo 3 4 million pre-orders $300 million 1 st week sales 8 million copies in 8 months Biggest debut ever Box office impact Call of Duty 4 7 million copies in first 2 months Photorealistic experience of combat Competitive team play for cash prizes A Little Context Titanic 11 months in theatres $1.2 Billion in revenue

5 Grand Theft Auto IV First day: 3.6 million copies, $310 million revenue $500 million 1 st week sales 11 million units in 1 st month The Grand Theft Auto Series Life Simulators The Sims 2: 100 million copies sold Second Life: 15 million members

6 Social Networking Facebook MySpace Twitter Adult Friend Finder Ashley Madison 175 million members 106 million members 6 million members 20 million members 3.5 million members Strategy Games Role Playing Games (RPG)

7 Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) World sized Persistent Players, not Bots Subscription Pay to Play The Whole Package World of Warcraft 62% Market Share Over 10 Million Subscribers As addictive as Crack As Addictive As Crack What is normal play? The appeal of play The risks of play The violence debate Outliers, tragedies and travesties

8 What would be normal? Hours Per Week Online Playing Average Person 15? Average MMORPG Player? 22 Watching TV 21 8 Total Of an average 80 hours per week of free time, the norm is for youth to spend at least 35-45% of that time before a screen Understanding the Appeal: Internal Factors Escape Novelty Fantasy Excitement Power Networking Competence Identity recreation Understanding the Appeal: External Factors Intermittent reinforcement Persistence Graphics Multiplayer/Online Teamwork Competition Sandbox Narrative Supplements

9 The Dangers Behavioural Criminal Modeling Aggression Grinding Physical Irregular heart rate Inactivity Desensitization Social Isolation Skewed interaction Farming Sexual Degradation Sex Simulation Stalking and Rape The Violence Debate TV Research Children imitate Watching aggression => aggressive behaviour Early exposure => later aggression Viewing alters brain chemistry & function Realism increases impact The Violence Debate Game Industry Studies Viewing alone does not make criminals Only 16% choose M for Mature 83% get permission to buy/rent 75% use parental controls or restrict playing time Only 12% of parents never monitor play

10 The Dangers: Incidents to date 2005: Lee Seung Seop of S. Korea dies after 50 hours of Starcraft 2007: Xu Yuan of China dies after 7 days of online gameplay; other game deaths follow in China 2008: A piano teacher from Miyazaki Japan murders her husband in an online life simulator 2008: Brendan Crisp of Ontario dies after running away from home when cut off from Call of Duty : A 15 year old Swedish boy collapses in convulsions after 20 hours of World of Warcraft 2008: Swedes now choose computer games over sports 2008: Second Life divorces are on the rise Above: The virtual wedding of Dave Barmy and Laura Skye. The WoW Prostitute This woman sold herself on Craigslist for 5000 gold pieces in the World of Warcraft. She needed the money for a flying mount. That s real sex, imaginary money, costumes optional, proof of gold required in advance.

11 The Price of Play Process addictions Criteria for concern Assessment Process Addictions What does it mean to call game play an addiction? Process addictions excite the pleasure pathway MRI studies show expanded receptor areas Repeated stimulation leads to pleasure decay Measurable impact on mood & behaviour The Gambling Paradigm Current diagnosis/treatment use gambling model Action versus Escape may apply here as well Gamblers playing videogames more likely to: Play for long hours See themselves as excellent players Experience dissociation, arousal, relaxation

12 Criteria for Concern How can we determine whether play is an issue? Self-reports Statistical norms Impacts to Major Life Areas (MLAs) Risk and Protective Factors Self Report Measures: CAGE Cut down: Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your playing? Annoyed: Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your playing? Guilty: Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your playing? Eye opener: Have you ever started playing first thing in the morning? Norms of use among MMORPG players Among self-described MMORPG players: 60% have played 10+ hours at a time 50% say they are addicted Nearly 80% play less than 30 hours/week Over 90% play less than 40 hours/week

13 Major Life Areas Family relationships Mental Health Social life/friendships Physical Health School Finances Work Legal Concerns Leisure Spirituality/Values Pleasure Decay Whoopee Skiing Food Nature Reading Risk and Protective Factors Parental Monitoring Social Skills Pro-social activities available used Grades Age Peer Behaviour Family History Family Discord School Disconnection

14 Assessment Questions for clients: Age of onset Preferred type of play Hours of use & changes in usage Escalation, tolerance, specialization Benefits and costs of use Impacts to MLAs Assessment continued Remember to probe for: Pleasure decay Gambling Current intention Client s assessment of severity Depression OCD Game Over Treatment centres for videogame or online addictions now exist in: United States Sweden France Australia United Kingdom Germany Japan Canada In addition, national health authorities in most European nations have now classified videogame addiction as a legitimate treatment concern

15 Approach with Caution Over-simplified causal relationships Diagnoses multiply like rabbits ESA response Criteria for blame Distrusting the Frenzy Lawsuits vs. violence in entertainment Time is only one variable Vilification polarizes debate In 1995, New York Psychiatrist Ivan Goldberg proposed Internet Addiction Disorder. Dr. Goldberg was kidding. No one got it.

16 The Psychology Debate Normal Adolescent Behaviour: Explore Identity Expel Energy Individuate Familiar Life Struggles Relationships Satisfaction Abnormal Similar to process addictions Features similar to Depression/OCD New Impacts development Better designed for abuse A Profile of Players the Entertainment Software Association states: The average player is 35 More women over 20 play than men under 20 65% of households play 22% pay to play online The Industry Response from the Entertainment Software Association A hobby for most Social connection Narrative development Fine motor skills Rating systems Protected speech Next, the Olympics

17 Blame Games Gin Craze The Devil Made Me Magic Bullets Parents Peers Big Gaming Rat Race Uncontrolled New Program What we don t know What is: safe or normal use? the real prevalence of problem use? We still need: rigorous research functional MRI studies Summary 1. Entertainment has changed, and isn t likely to change back 2. Patterns of use for many match established patterns of addiction 3. Understanding the appeal and rewards of games is critical for engagement, assessment and treatment 4. As with most use, a culture of recovery depends on ownership without blame

18 Just because it s Entertainment, doesn t mean it s Harmless Are consoles, computers, and cyberspace like TVs or telephones? Or are they like liquor & medicine cabinets? We know ease of access and lack of supervision are major risk factors in adolescent use overall. References n Aupers, S. (2006). 'Better than real life': The appeal of online games. Sociologie, 2(1), n Chou, C., Condron, L., & Belland, J. C. (2005). A review of the research on internet addiction. Educational Psychology Review, 17(4), n Egli, E. A., & Meyers, L. S. (1984). The role of video game playing in adolescent life: Is there reason to be concerned? The Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 22(4), n Griffiths, M. (2003, June). Internet abuse in the workplace: Issues and concerns for employers and employment counselors. Journal of Employment Counseling, 40(2), n Lin, S. S. J., & Tsai, C. (2000). Sensation seeking and internet dependence of taiwanese high school adolescents November 22, 2007, from ERIC database. n Wan, C., & Chiou, W. (2007). The motivations of adolescents who are addicted to online games: A cognitive perspective. Adolescence, 42(165), n Wood, R., Gupta, R., Derevensky, J., & Griffiths, M. (2004). Video Game Playing and Gambling in Adolescents: Common Risk Factors. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, vol. 14, no. 1, n Yee, N. (2006). The demographics, motivations and derived experiences of users of massivelymultiuser online graphical environments. PRESENCE: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 15, Available from n Center for the Digital Future, USC Annenberg School. (2009). The Digital Future Report, Retrieved from July 2009 from n Entertainment Software Association. (2009) sales, demographics and usage data: Essential facts about the computer and video game industry. Retrieved July 2009 from