MAKING SENSE…
WHY ONLINE PLAYERS CHOOSE TO STAY IN THEIR VIRTUAL CHRYSALIS INSTEAD OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD
Hooked On Dopamine: Why Online Players Choose To Stay In Their Virtual Chrysalis Instead Of Making A Difference In The World
Much has been debated on the issue of online gaming and its perceived effects on users that are engaged in a virtual life or death struggle on the screen, which can be reset after every loss and go straight back into the action again. Holistically, gaming has both positive and negative effects, with the good being it promotes a competitive spirit in the individual and amongst players and cultivates an agile mind that is far more dynamic and spontaneous than any rigid schoolbased education can offer. The latter is decidedly less appealing and fast becoming sterile in the eyes of the increasing number of gamers than the vast array of seductive images and powerful sounds offered in the ever expanding virtual world.
However, on the flip side, it draws people into the vortex of action, causing them to spend inordinate amount of time in cyberspace, thereby neglecting pressing issues such as schoolwork and family matters. Furthermore, virtual games promise a far less waiting time to get back in the action as compared to real life, where risks are real and opportunities more often than not, cross one’s path only once in a while, thus contributing to shaping a mentality that takes risks less seriously and promoting a “want it now” mindset in most gamers. So while we should capitalise on the effectiveness of online gaming in nurturing agility and dynamism - both desirable qualities which are not easily replicable in the real world, we must be cautious of its inherent addictiveness which makes one give up precious time by luring him or her away from other more noble pursuits in the real world.
Ever wondered why computer games are so addictive? In a traditional real time strategy (RTS) or a first person shooter (FPS) game, which typically pits one team against another in a winner-takes-all match, winning teams are always rewarded with a sense of accomplishment, together with a dopamine boost. Dopamine is a critical chemical inherent in our brains’ reward circuitry which is triggered to honour players for being victorious or having accomplished certain objectives that require a lot of effort. Such an egoistic boost usually comes easier to hardcore players who are familiar with the game and such a gratification would lead them to more frequent victories.
On the other hand, losses release serotonin, which acts as a punitive chemical in our reward systems, dampening our desire to engage in the next match. The losers, however, go back to gaming as it promises a quick way to reconnect access to dopamine, especially so since games are usually short and inadvertently unpredictable, given that the original players in competing teams do not necessarily stick together from start to finish, and players of different skill sets indiscriminately log in and out to freely alter the strategies that shape the agendum of each team. This gives subsequent matches a degree of heightened unpredictability and evens the playing field, and with the determination of a chronic gambler that seeks to “strike it” in the next match, diehard players will be compelled to stay and try to even the odds, with their adrenaline levels running high and continuously rising all the time.
Players who get the hang of a game usually develop multiple skills in order to survive and thrive at their games. They are able to experience more frequent bouts of dopamine release compared to newer players who are learning the ropes. However, once the brain receives a satisfactory dosage of dopamine, subsequent bouts will no longer be as rewarding and so players are hooked into labouring on by gaming longer and harder so as to sustain the same “high” or to surpass it. This is one of the main causes of computer game addiction which entraps players in a virtual chrysalis that is extremely difficult to break free. To make matters worse, there are multitude upon multitude of games that compete for the gamer’s attention, and as skills learnt in one game can be applied almost effortlessly to another, the hapless gamer will be lured into spending hard-earned money and ever more precious time to achieve a level of personal satisfaction that keeps rising inexorably, fuelled by greater and more aggressive demand for more dopamine to satisfy the insatiable craving of his brain.
Computer games such as real time strategy (RTS) and first person shooters (FPS) cater to an idealized, oft-masculine vision of competition, explicitly targeted at the adolescent male population. The players are at an especially impressionable and critical juncture where they are learning to grapple with the idea of managing their self-esteem either by gaining recognition from others, taking pride in their collaboration with others or even in winning or losing in traditional fields such as sports or any other physical games. However, RTS and FPS seek to divert their attention away from such traditional activities by means of a quick-fix learning curve that comes seductively packaged with immersive graphics and sound effects. Such an approach may be beneficial in the fact that multiple dynamic scenarios can be generated and permutated effortlessly to present the player with an almost limitless number of plausible plotlines, motivating them to think much faster than their real world counterparts, and preparing them for the real world ahead, such as National Service, which can be a determining factor on matters concerning life or death during actual war situations.
But even if players could tackle successfully a large number of virtually generated scenarios, their motivation in risk taking is strictly limited to such virtual situations, as they realise that in games, they do not have to face the music for any consequences which reflect adversely upon their decisions, quite unlike real world risks, where wrongful decisions lead to real or painful outcomes that may leave an indelible mark on them permanently. Isn’t it better to lose a virtual limb and start over again, than try to court that beautiful girl sitting nearby?
However, traditional computer-bound games are increasingly being challenged by the rise in other mobile platforms that offer a newer and better genre of games promising new avenues of instant gratification. Games such as Candy Crush on the ubiquitous smartphone, have an easy learning curve that appeals to both young men and women. These promise an even easier access to dopamine, given that once installed, they can be played anywhere and everywhere and people are motivated by their peers, which make the circle of penetration and immersion much harder to break. Furthermore, these games have a wider appeal and are insidiously gaining acceptance with both the young and the old, the tech savvy and the computer luddites alike.
As the saying, “History is written by the victors” goes, we are in danger of accepting passively this blue pill that will sap the vigour and vitality of our next generation, creating a virtual multifaceted, attention splitting but appealing world in which every soul will relish in, and having it deeply entrenched in our minds. If no significant effort is being done, our next generation will be stuck in their virtual chrysalis with no way of becoming the beautiful butterflies that they so wistfully could have been.