Evaluating Existing Strategies to Limit Video Game Playing Time

Public concern surrounding the effects video games have on players has inspired a large body of research, and policy makers have even mandated systems that limit the amount of time players spend in game. This article presents an experiment that evaluates the effectiveness and side effects of such policies on the user experience

Design Triggers for Excessive Online Video Clip Watching

Addiction in the context of information technology gained increased public interest within the last years. Only recently, companies like Apple, Google, or Instagram announced to fight “Smartphone Addiction” and integrated respective features in their systems. However, if and how such features help is still an open question. Right now, there is only a very rudimentary understanding of addictions in information systems and “IT-triggered disorders\u27\u27. Even in clinical research, there is no consensus on the nature of such addictions yet. This work researches how design adaptations interfere with “Excessive Online Video Clip Watching”. We base our assumptions on the reinforcement cycle of disorder development and the Four-Component Model for Non-addictive Information Systems (4-NAIS). A study with 186 participants is performed, indicating that bridging findings from Psychology and Neurosciences to Information Systems is necessary to design information systems that are capable of tackling the problem of “IT-triggered disorders”

Design Triggers for Excessive Online Video Clip Watching

Addiction in the context of information technology gained increased public interest within the last years. Only recently, companies like Apple, Google, or Instagram announced to fight “Smartphone Addiction” and integrated respective features in their systems. However, if and how such features help is still an open question. Right now, there is only a very rudimentary understanding of addictions in information systems and “IT-triggered disorders\u27\u27. Even in clinical research, there is no consensus on the nature of such addictions yet. This work researches how design adaptations interfere with “Excessive Online Video Clip Watching”. We base our assumptions on the reinforcement cycle of disorder development and the Four-Component Model for Non-addictive Information Systems (4-NAIS). A study with 186 participants is performed, indicating that bridging findings from Psychology and Neurosciences to Information Systems is necessary to design information systems that are capable of tackling the problem of “IT-triggered disorders”

Designing for Disengagement: Challenges and Opportunities for Game Design to Support Children's Exit From Play

Games research and industry have developed a solid understanding of how to design engaging, playful experiences that draws players in for hours and causes them to lose their sense of time. While these designs can provide enjoyable experiences, many individuals -- especially children -- may find it challenging to regulate their playing time, and often they struggle to turn off the game. In turn, this affords external regulation of children's playing behavior by limiting playing time or encouraging alternative activities, which frequently leads to conflicts between parents and the children. Here, we see an opportunity for game design to address player disengagement through design, facilitating a timely and autonomous exit from play. Hence, while most research and practitioners design for maximizing player engagement, we argue for a perspective shift towards disengagement as a design tool that allows for unobtrusive and smooth exits from the game. We advocate that interweaving disengagement into the game design could reduce friction within families, allowing children to finish game sessions more easily, facilitate a sense of autonomy, and support an overall healthier relationship with games. In this position paper, we outline a research agenda that examines how game design can address player disengagement, what challenges exist in the specific context of games for children, and how such approaches can be reconciled with the experiential, artistic, and commercial goals of games

Policy and prevention approaches for disordered and hazardous gaming and internet use: an international perspective

Problems related to high levels of gaming and Internet usage are increasingly recognized as a potential public health burden across the developed world. The aim of this review was to present an international perspective on prevention strategies for Internet gaming disorder and related health conditions (e.g., Internet addiction), as well as hazardous gaming and Internet use. A systematic review of quantitative research evidence was conducted, followed by a search of governmental reports, policy and position statements, and health guidelines in the last decade. The regional scope included the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, China, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. Prevention studies have mainly involved school-based programs to train healthier Internet use habits in adolescents. The efficacy of selective prevention is promising but warrants further empirical attention. On an international scale, the formal recognition of gaming or Internet use as a disorder or as having quantifiable harms at certain levels of usage has been foundational to developing structured prevention responses. The South Korean model, in particular, is an exemplar of a coordinated response to a public health threat, with extensive government initiatives and long-term strategic plans at all three levels of prevention (i.e., universal, selective, and indicated). Western regions, by comparison, are dominated by prevention approaches led by non-profit organizations and private enterprise. The future of prevention of gaming and Internet problems ultimately relies upon all stakeholders working collaboratively in the public interest, confronting the reality of the evidence base and developing practical, ethical, and sustainable countermeasures

Policy responses to problematic video game use: a systematic review of current measures and future possibilities

Background and aims: Empirical research into problematic video game playing suggests that overuse might cause functional and psychological impairments for a minority of gamers. Therefore, the need for regulation in the case of video games (whether governmental or self-imposed) has arisen but has only been implemented in a few countries around the world, and predominantly in Asia. This paper provides a systematic review of current and potential policies addressing problematic gaming. Methods: After conducting a systematic search in the areas of prevention, treatment, and policy measures relating to problematic Internet and video game use, papers were selected that targeted problematic gaming policies (N = 12; six in English and six in Korean). These papers served as the basis of this review. Results: Policies were classified into three major groups: (i) policy measures limiting availability of video games (e.g., shutdown policy, fatigue system, and parental controls), (ii) measures aiming to reduce risk and harm (e.g., warning messages), and (iii) measures taken to provide help services for gamers. Beyond the attempt to classify the current and potential policy measures, the authors also tried to evaluate their efficiency theoretically and (if data were available) empirically. Discussion and conclusions: Overall, it appears that although several steps have been taken to address problematic video game playing, most of these steps were not as effective as expected, or had not been evaluated empirically for efficacy. The reason for this may lie in the fact that the policies outlined only addressed or influenced specific aspects of the problem instead of using a more integrative approach

ゲーム依存症を抱える子ども・若者の自立支援 ―東アジアの取り組み―

世界保健機構（WHO）は2019年5月25日、日常生活に支障をきたすほどゲームに没頭する「ゲーム障害（Gaming Disorder）」を、新たな依存症として正式に認定した。「国際疾病分類（ICD）」の中で「依存症」と位置付けられ、WHOの年次総会で採択された。この分類は2022年1月から施行され、ゲーム障害（ゲーム依存症）がアルコールやドラッグと並び、治療が必要な正式な疾病となっている。台湾では、もともとゲーム好きな文化があるが、インターネットとスマートフォンの普及につれて、ゲーム人口が一層拡大し、ゲーム依存症が社会問題となっている。子供の教育と健康を重視する台湾社会では、ゲーム依存症の蔓延を警戒しており、ゲーム依存症を抱える青少年の治療と自立支援に関する取り組みを2010年ごろから官民連携で推進している。本章は、５節から構成される。次の第２節では、台湾におけるゲーム依存症の実態を紹介する。第3節では、法整備と啓発教育を中心とする台湾のゲーム依存症防止策を紹介する。第4節では、台湾における依存症を抱える青少年に対する治療と自立支援の取り組みを考察する。最後の第5節では、台湾の依存症対策から得られる示唆を示す