The problem is many youth have problelmatic video game use. It is problem because it impacts their mental health and there physical health as well.

I researched questions that I had about video game addiction, I had many questions and answered all of them. I found my research on Google Scholar and looked at many different reliable sources. Some of the questions I put into google scholar were:

Who is generally more addicted to video games?

What are the most addicting video games?

What are charcteristics of video games that make them addicting?

What are symptoms of video game addiction?

What makes gaming fun?

Gaming is fun because:

• It gives people a challenge being able to be creative(like Minecraft)
• Games are designed with reward systems that are intended to keep players coming back.

Why this project?

Personnally sometimes I spend a lot of time on video games and so this has pushed me to do this project, because I don't want kids to become or continue being addicted to video games.

Based on my experience with playing to many video games, my hypothesis to stop video game addiction was buying in-game currencies, all games push you to buy their in-game currencies whether it be by battle pass, cool cosmetics, or other things, they all do. When you finally break and you buy in-game currency you will begin to feel attached to the game because you feel that you have spent money and therefore if you stop playing then it will be a waste of money. Also when you spend your ingame currency it gives you a burst of dopamine after which your body wants more of that dopamine and that combined with the game pushing you to buy more makes you buy more and this will continue in a theoretical loop.

Beginnings

According to https://journals.lww.com. Excessive internet video game play (EIGP) has emerged as a leading cause of behavioral and developmental problems in adolescents. Recent research has implicated the role of the striatal dopaminergic system in the behavioral maladaptations associated with EIGP. Striatal dopamine mediates the interface between motivational and cognitive control in humans: evidence from genetic imaging. CONCLUSION: People with particular gene markers. (DRD2 Taq1A1 and COMT^L alleles.) In particular, the DRD2 Taq1A1 allele seems to be associated with reward dependence in EIGP adolescents. Also, individuals who suffer from video game addiction are also more likely to be alcoholics.

 

According to https://www.sciencedirect.com. The adverse effects of teens’ “addiction” to the games are not just time lost studying or socializing with their peers. Some evidence associates video game addiction with depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (2). Whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship remains unclear. In extreme cases, some kids may resort to violence if parents take away their screens/video games. Whether video game addiction is an addiction is controversial. The current study does not support the assertion that the type of video game played is related to levels of problem use, challenging the idea that video games themselves are ‘addictive’. Future research should explore whether, when controlling for impulsivity and social play, online-only or Massively Multiplayer Online games are predictive of PVGU. When controlling for participants’ age and self-rated impulsivity scores, there were no overall differences in PVGU between genres (i.e., Role Playing Game, Action/Adventure, Shooter, Strategy, Simulation), or across different proportions of social play. Self-rated impulsivity and frequency of playtime were uniquely and positively associated with PVGU.

WHO IS GENERALLY MORE ADDICTED TO VIDEO GAMES

Generally, boys/men are more addicted to video games than girls/women.

WHAT ARE THE MOST ADDICTING/POPULAR GAME Types

Multiplayer online battle arena games, battle royale games, candy-crush-style games

Reward Systems in Video Game Design

According to research by Pirrone et al, there are four main types of reward systems used in video game design:

1) Variable rewards. Generally high rarity items, that in-order to get you need to play for a long time and do what most players call "Grinding". Delivered by the game on a variable schedule. e.g, A powerful sword.

2) Contingent rewards

3) Meta- achivements

4) Social rewards 

 

Most rewards in games are delivered on variable ratio (=random) schedules. For instance, in a fantasy role playing game, players may find a valuable sword only in 1% of the enemies they defeat. Existing literature has shown that variable-ratio reinforcement produces the most consistent and steady response and is the least susceptible to extinction (e.g., quit playing a game) (Haw, Citation2008; Hurlburt et al., Citation1980; Peele et al., Citation1984; Zuriff, Citation1970). One example of this mechanism is the use of “loot boxes” in videogames; this type of reward shows similarities with gambling principles as it is often unclear how likely certain items can be earned within the game and because high-end items are difficult to win (Griffiths & King, Citation2015).

Furthermore, many successful games have a repeat log-in bonus, named contingencies rewards, which rewards players with a free reward of virtual goods every day they log-in (Johnson et al., Citation2018). These bonuses leverage a well-known principle of behavioral economics (Butler, Citation2015): operant conditioning of a given behavior by positive reinforcement, in this case, increasing logins by associating them with a reward (e.g., a free gift of in-game goods). While claiming the reward, users associate the positive feedback with the log-in behavior and tend to associate this positive feeling with the game. As a result, users log into the game more frequently and play more often (Hursh, Citation1984; Skinner, Citation1969; Staddon & Cerutti, Citation2003). Today, we can see an evolution of these mechanics; some games go beyond a simple daily reward cycle, offering a tiered reward for both cumulative and consecutive log-ins. For instance, in the game Fortnite, players who log-in up to 2 consecutive days would receive a “common” reward, but after logging in 3 to 6 days, earn a chance to win an “uncommon” reward, and as of 7 days, the chance to win a “rare” reward. The idea behind these progression mechanics is simple: the more engaged users are in the game, the greater they will be rewarded.

Another games feature conceives to encourage players to continue playing is meta-achievements. This rewarding schedule is designed to give players an overall assessment of their mastery over a video game. In some games, this mastery is represented by a single percentage rating that indicates how much of the game the player has completed. Recent advanced examples of meta-game rewards include the Xbox’s Achievement Point system and the Playstation’s Trophies one (Jakobsson, Citation2011). Through these systems, players are rewarded for accomplishing the varied requirements on a game’s list of specific achievements. Achievement points are designed to keep the player involved with the video game after the game has been completed, either by replaying the game or playing the game online (Cruz et al., Citation2017).

Finally, social aspects of playing are important and influence gameplay (Halbrook et al., Citation2019; Kaye & Bryce, Citation2012). The opportunity to construct friendships, compete with other players, build communities, and engage in social interactions in the virtual world, is rewarding for players and is often stated as one of the reasons for the increasing popularity of online videogames (Elliott et al., Citation2012; Floros & Siomos, Citation2012; Ghuman & Griffiths, Citation2012; Männikkö et al., Citation2017; Saint Sferra et al., Citation2017). Players want to interact with friends and to keep up with their social connections through videogames. Moreover, these social interactions are sometimes rewarded as team play is often essential to win the game, particularly in online games. Previous research has demonstrated that people spend more time on gaming and get more engaged in games activities to receive social rewards (Hou, Citation2011; Wei & Lu, Citation2014).

Are there characteristics that make video games addictive?

According to https://www.tandfonline.com  Individuals who report ADHD symptomatology and also identify as gamers may benefit from psychoeducation about the potential risk for problematic play.

What are the symptoms of video game addiction

HERE IS A LIST from goodrx.com on video game addiction symptoms

• Being preoccupied with playing video games

• Having trouble cutting down on video game use

• Using video games as a way of coping with unwanted emotions

• Losing of interest in other activities due to gaming

• Lying about how much time you spend gaming

• Risking or actually losing a job, relationship, or other important opportunity due to gaming

• Continuing to video game excessively despite it causing problems

• Developing a tolerance to gaming

• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not gaming

What type of education/physcoeducation can help people who are more likeley to get addicted to video games

According to https://www.frontiersin.org/. Several studies have revealed a direct relationship between general family functioning and Internet addiction (Şenormanci et al., 2014; Ko et al., 2015); their results show that better general family functioning reduces the chances of becoming an Internet addict. Additionally, some authors (Young, 1999) have suggested that family groups focused on educating the parents on understanding the addiction, and improving the communication about problems in the family, can be an important part of such therapies. They further suggest that a strong sense of family support may enable the patient to recover from Internet addiction. Thus, the inclusion of a parent (father or mother) during the therapy sessions, where only problems directly related with the IGD are treated, and these crucial aspects are not focused may be not sufficient to complement the individual treatment.

Video game addiction level tests

https://www.ementalhealth.ca/index.php?m=survey&ID=49

-> CONCLUSION

To summarize, boys are generally more addicted to video games as they have more of a certain gene, the main games that are addicting are: Multiplayer online battle arena games, battle royale games, candy-crush-style games. The main rewards are variable rewards, contingency rewards, meta-acheivments, and social rewards. The symptoms of video game addiction are: Being preoccupied with playing video games, Having trouble cutting down on video game use, Using video games as a way of coping with unwanted emotions, Losing of interest in other activities due to gaming, Lying about how much time you spend gaming, Risking or actually losing a job, relationship, or other important opportunity due to gaming, Continuing to video game excessively despite it causing problems, Developing a tolerance to gaming, Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not gaming. Based on my research my original hypothesis was half correct, avoiding buying in-game currincires can help but not enough to make a diffrence because certain genes and rewards are the main reasons for video game addiction. So waht can you do? Well you can take a video game addiction level test and based on your level you get therapy and talk your family about spending more time with them.

Many people think that being "addicted" to video games is a mental disorder

 

Research sources

Research links(https://journals.lww.com/journaladdictionmedicine/abstract/2007/09000/dopamine_genes_and_reward_dependence_in.3.aspx, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00163/full, https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1705077114, https://www.video-game-addiction.org/boys-and-video-games.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThese%20gender%20differences%20in%20the,headed%20up%20the%20research%20team., https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563220302168#preview-section-abstract, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00952990.2018.1472269, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00787/full,

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15213269.2023.2242260)

 

 

 

To summarize, boys are generally more prone to be addicted to video games as they have more of a certain gene, the main games that are addicting are: Multiplayer online battle arena games, battle royale games, candy-crush-style games. The main rewards are variable rewards, contingency rewards, meta-acheivments, and social rewards. The symptoms of video game addiction are: Being preoccupied with playing video games, Having trouble cutting down on video game use, Using video games as a way of coping with unwanted emotions, Losing of interest in other activities due to gaming, Lying about how much time you spend gaming, Risking or actually losing a job, relationship, or other important opportunity due to gaming, Continuing to video game excessively despite it causing problems, Developing a tolerance to gaming, Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not gaming. Based on my research my original hypothesis was half correct, avoiding buying in-game currincires can help but not enough to make a diffrence because certain genes and rewards are the main reasons for video game addiction. So whatt can you do? Well you can take a video game addiction level test and based on your level you get therapy and talk your family about spending more time with them and doing activities to get away from video games.

https://journals.lww.com/journaladdictionmedicine/abstract/2007/09000/dopamine_genes_and_reward_dependence_in.3.aspx(Hyun et al, 2007)

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00163/full(Aarts et al, 2011)

https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1705077114(Zastrow, 2017)

https://www.video-game-addiction.org/boys-and-video-games.html(video-game-addiction.org, 2024)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563220302168#preview-section-abstract(Entwistle et al, 2020)

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00952990.2018.1472269(Mathews et al, 2018)

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00787/full(Gonzalez-Bueso et al, 2018)

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15213269.2023.2242260(Pirrone et al, 2023)

 

 

Thanks to my dad for telling me if my assignment was any good and helping me out figuring out what I was gonna do, thanks to my mom for helping me wiht my grammer. Thanks to my teacher Ms.watson for getting me through this and telling me what stuff does, and finally thanks to my friends for always playing video games with me and helping me through tough times.