Purchases in video games ‘risk harm to children’

BOUGHT items in video games put children at risk of financial and emotional harm, a study has found.

Researchers from Loughborough and Newcastle universities looked into the impact of loot boxes and microtransactions – in-game purchases in video games.

The study found one 11-year-old boy who spent £464 on 15 transactions for a mobile phone game without his parents’ permission.

In total, the researchers looked at 42 families with children aged five to 17 who had access to loot boxes and in-game purchases.

They found young people struggled to track their spending in games.

Digital items for sale were found to be highly desirable and collectable, which caused children to buy more.

Gaming could also be manipulated without the player being aware, encouraging them to spend money, resulting in poor decisions and helping to create an unhealthy relationship with money and online spending.

Billy told the researchers: “The game just got better and better as I spent more money and I got addicted to it.

“I knew I’d spent the money, but I didn’t know how much.

“I was sad and crying a lot, and I went upstairs to my room. I put my money tin at the top of the stairs, and I started crying even more.”

His mum said: “The fact is, we didn’t have £464 to spare just to spend on packs. It was a learning curve.”

Lead author Dr James Ash, from Newcastle University, said: “Children and young people are spending increasing amounts of time and money on gaming.

“Our research demonstrates the dangers of in-game purchasing, especially when game developers actively use techniques drawn from gambling to encourage children and young people to buy in-game items.”

Dr Sarah Mills, who led Loughborough University’s involvement in the research, said: “Parents want to safeguard their children from potential harm and risks but are under pressure because of the popularity of digital games, especially within friendship groups both on and off the playground.

“This research shines a light on some hidden pressures within households that impact the lives of children, young people and families.”

The researchers recommended the setting up of an independent regulator for the gaming industry, that loot boxes and other chancebased mechanisms should be restricted to over 18s, in-game currencies should be turned into local currencies such as pounds or euros, and that there should be standardised parental controls across games.