Unfair play? Video games as exploitative monetized services: An examination of game patents from a consumer protection perspective

Video games as a consumer product have changed significantly with the advent of in-game purchasing systems (e.g., microtransactions, ‘loot boxes’). This review examines consumer protections related to in-game purchasing by anticipating some of the potential design strategies that might contribute to higher risk consumer behavior. Attention was directed towards the analysis of patents for potential in-game purchasing systems, with 13 identified on Google Patents. The design features were analysed in relation to the consumer rights and guarantees described in the terms of use agreements of the patent assignees. The analysis revealed that some in-game purchasing systems could be characterized …

Procrastination, Distress and Life Satisfaction across the Age Range – A German Representative Community Study

Addressing the lack of population-based data the purpose of this representative study was to assess procrastination and its associations with distress and life satisfaction across the life span. A representative German community sample (1,350 women; 1,177 men) between the ages of 14 and 95 years was examined by the short form of the General Procrastination Scale (GPS-K; 1) and standardized scales of perceived stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue and life satisfaction. As hypothesized, procrastination was highest in the youngest cohort (14-29 years). Only in the youngest and most procrastinating cohort (aged 14 to 29 years), men procrastinated more than women. As we had further hypothesized,…

A clinical evaluation of the DSM-5 criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder and a pilot study on their applicability to further Internet-related disorders.

Background and aims Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and other Internet-related disorders (IRDs) have become growing health concerns in our today’s lives. Based on defined diagnostic criteria, IGD has been recognized as a condition for further research in the DSM-5; however, other IRDs have been excluded. Since the release of the DSM-5, representativeness and appropriateness of the nine diagnostic criteria have been debated. Although some first evidence has been published to evaluate these criteria, our knowledge is still limited. Thus, the purpose of this study was to provide data on the clinical validity of the DSM-5 criteria for IGD and other types of IRD. We were also interested in exami…

Efficacy of Short-term Treatment of Internet and Computer Game Addiction

Importance Internet and computer game addiction represent a growing mental health concern, acknowledged by the World Health Organization. Objective To determine whether manualized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), using short-term treatment for internet and computer game addiction (STICA), is efficient in individuals experiencing internet and computer game addiction. Design, Setting, and Participants A multicenter randomized clinical trial was conducted in 4 outpatient clinics in Germany and Austria from January 24, 2012, to June 14, 2017, including follow-ups. Blinded measurements were conducted. A consecutive sample of 143 men was randomized to the treatment group (STICA; n = 72) or wai…

Digital Stress over the Life Span: The Effects of Communication Load and Internet Multitasking on Perceived Stress and Psychological Health Impairments in a German Probability Sample

The present study investigated the psychological health effects and motivational origins of digital stress based on a representative survey of 1,557 German Internet users between 14 and 85 years of age. Communication load resulting from private e-mails and social media messages as well as Internet multitasking were positively related to perceived stress and had significant indirect effects on burnout, depression, and anxiety. Perceived social pressure and the fear of missing out on information and social interaction were key drivers of communication load and Internet multitasking. Age significantly moderated the health effects of digital stress as well as the motivational drivers of communi…

Free-to-play: About addicted Whales, at risk Dolphins and healthy Minnows. Monetarization design and Internet Gaming Disorder

Abstract Introduction Video games are not only changing due to technical innovation, but also because of new game design and monetization approaches. Moreover, elite gamer groups with financial in-game-investments co-finance all users of free-to-play-games. Besides questions on youth protection, the growing popularity of free-to-play games has fostered discussions on supposed associations to Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Method Children and adolescents using free-to-play browser games were examined in a German school-based representative study (N = 3967; age range 12 to 18). Based on a clinical self-report AICA-S (Wolfling et al., 2011), students were categorized into non-problematic, ris…

Psychische Belastung und die Akzeptanz von gewaltlegitimierenden Männlichkeitsnormen bei Jugendlichen

Vor dem Hintergrund der steigenden Anzahl von Jugendlichen mit Migrationshintergrund an der deutschen Bevolkerung war das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie die psychische Belastung bei Jugendlichen mit direktem, indirektem und ohne Migrationshintergrund in einer reprasentativen Schulerbefragung zu beschreiben und zu vergleichen. Die Auspragungen von gewaltlegitimierenden Mannlichkeitsnormen (GLMN) wurden im Zusammenhang mit psychischen Problemen analysiert. Insgesamt wurden 8 518 Schuler und Schulerinnen im Alter von 12 und 19 Jahren aus verschiedenen Schulformen hinsichtlich ihrer selbsteingeschatzten psychischen Belastung in internalisierenden und externalisierenden Problembereichen und ihrer …

Glücksspielelemente in Computerspielen. Wie ein Trend aus Japan bedenkliche Standards in Rheinland-Pfalz setzt

Berufsbedingte Einschränkungen und somatische Beschwerden bei Patienten mit Internetbezogenen Störungen im Vergleich zu Pathologischen Glücksspielern

Evaluation des Beratungsaufkommens der Regionalen Fachstellen Glücksspielsucht in Rheinland-Pfalz

Prä-klinische Ansätze der Computerspiel- und Internetsucht: Schulbasierte Präventionsansätze, Medientraining und eine Empfehlung für finanzielle Obergrenzen bei In-Game-Käufen (MIRPPU)

ZusammenfassungAusgewählte Beiträge eines internationalen Reviews zu schulbasierten Präventionsansätzen werden vorgestellt. Aufgrund ihrer Wirksamkeit werden 2 internationale Ansätze dargestellt. Ergänzend werden 5 z.T. evaluierte Ansätze des deutschen Sprachraumes beschrieben.Um einer subklinisch exzessiven Nutzungsgruppe ein benötigtes präventives Angebot zur Verfügung zu stellen, wurde von der Ambulanz für Spielsucht Mainz ein Medientraining konzipiert. Dieser verhaltenstherapeutische Präventionsansatz wird konzeptuell und mit seinen ersten Pilotergebnissen abgebildet. Beim Medientraining handelt es sich um eine gruppentherapeutische Frühintervention für Kinder und Jugendlichen mit probl…

Bipolar spectrum disorders in a clinical sample of patients with Internet addiction: hidden comorbidity or differential diagnosis?

Background and Aims Behavioral addictions and bipolar disorders have a certain probability of co-occurrence. While the presence of a manic episode has been defined as an exclusion criterion for gambling disorder, no such exclusion has been formulated for Internet addiction. Methods A clinical sample of 368 treatment seekers presenting with excessive to addictive Internet use was screened for bipolar spectrum disorders using the Mood Disorder Questionnaire. Psychopathology was assessed by the Symptom Checklist 90R and a clinical interview was administered to screen for comorbid disorders. Results Comorbid bipolar disorders were more frequent in patients meeting criteria for Internet addictio…

A hidden type of internet addiction? Intense and addictive use of social networking sites in adolescents

Internet Gaming Disorder has been included as a preliminary diagnosis in DSM-5. The question remains, if there are additional internet activities related to addictive use. Especially, use of social networking sites has been discussed to be related to excessive use, but only few empirical studies are available. We wanted to explore, if use of social networking sites is related to addiction symptoms and psychosocial distress and which variables (demography, personality) predict addictive use. A representative sample of n?=?9173 adolescents (12-19 years) was enrolled. Self-report questionnaires assessed demography, frequency of social networking sites use, internet addiction, personality, and …

The role of parents in the engagement of young children with digital technologies: Exploring tensions between rights of access and protection, from ‘Gatekeepers’ to ‘Scaffolders’

This study investigates the role played by parents as mediators of young children’s access and engagement with digital technologies. In Belgium, Germany, Latvia and Portugal, qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 families in each country, including one child between 6 and 7 years old. Our findings show that parents of young children mainly play the role of ‘gatekeepers’ when it comes to facilitating and constraining access to and use of digital technologies. Parents’ perceptions of the efficacy of digital technologies as responsible entertainment and as educational tools influence the technologies available at home and accessible to the child. These perceptions in turn impa…

Permanently online and permanently procrastinating? The mediating role of Internet use for the effects of trait procrastination on psychological health and well-being

A growing number of studies suggest that Internet users frequently utilize online media as “tools for procrastination.” This study thus investigated the relationship between trait procrastination, Internet use, and psychological well-being in a representative sample of N = 1,577 German Internet users. The results revealed that trait procrastination was associated with an increased use of leisure-related online content and impaired control over Internet use. As a result, Internet users high in trait procrastination showed a higher risk of experiencing negative consequence of Internet use in other life domains. These negative repercussions of insufficiently self-regulated Internet use partia…

Working towards an international consensus on criteria for assessing internet gaming disorder: a critical commentary on Petry et al. (2014).

This commentary paper critically discusses the recent debate paper by Petry et al. (2014) that argued there was now an international consensus for assessing Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Our collective opinions vary considerably regarding many different aspects of online gaming. However, we contend that the paper by Petry and colleagues does not provide a true and representative international community of researchers in this area. This paper critically discusses and provides commentary on (i) the representativeness of the international group that wrote the ‘consensus’ paper, and (ii) each of the IGD criteria. The paper also includes a brief discussion on initiatives that could be taken to…

Adding Clinical Validity to the Statistical Power of Large-Scale Epidemiological Surveys on Internet Addiction in Adolescence

OBJECTIVE Research has indicated that internet addiction is associated with psychosocial maladjustment in adolescence. Many epidemiologic surveys are lacking representativeness, and knowledge on disorder-specific risk factors is scarce. One weakness of epidemiologic studies often regards their lack of generalizability to clinical reality. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed description of internet addiction among adolescents, focusing on its prevalence in a population-based context, psychopathological correlates, and predisposing factors. METHODS The main analyses were based on 2 large representative samples of German adolescents (N = 9,293; 12-19 years) collected in 2012, and t…

Evidenzbasierter Jugendschutz in Computerspielen: Eine Obergrenze für Mikrotransaktionen von 16 € pro Monat

Processes discriminating adaptive and maladaptive Internet use among European adolescents highly engaged online.

Today adolescents are highly engaged online. Contrary to common concern, not all highly engaged adolescents develop maladaptive patterns of internet use. The present qualitative study explored the experiences, patterns and impact of use of 124 adolescents (M(age) = 16.0) reporting signs of internet addictive behaviors. The focus was to discern adaptive and maladaptive use patterns, which promote or interfere with adolescents' development, respectively. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted in seven European countries (Greece, Spain, Poland, Germany, Romania, Netherlands and Iceland) and qualitatively analyzed using grounded theory. Considerable variability emerged in the way …

Rules of Engagement: Family Rules on Young Children’s Access to and Use of Technologies

This chapter reports on a study conducted in seven countries in which young children’s (aged under 8) digital practices in the home were examined. The study explored family practices with regard to access to and use of technologies, tracing the ways in which families managed risks and opportunities. Seventy families participated in the study, and interviews were undertaken with both parents and children, separately and together, in order to address the research aims. This chapter focuses on the data relating to parental mediation of young children’s digital practices. Findings indicate that parents used a narrow range of strategies in comparison to parents of older children, primarily becau…

1653 – The developemnt of adaptive and maladaptive patterns of internet use among european adolescents at risk for internet addictive behaviors: a grounded theory inquiry

Introduction Full findings from the European Commission funded EU-NET-ADB study (Safer Internet Programme) will be presented. Objectives Empirical findings that elucidate the development of an internet addictive behaviour are still incomplete. This is also related to risk as well as protective factors of internet use. Here a process oriented approach to identify underlying conditions of an internet addictive behaviour was chosen. Aims The aim of the study is to enhance the knowledge and understanding of underlying processes which lead to situation were internet addictive behaviour can evolve. Methods In total 124 in-depth interviews were conducted with adolescents with an age of 14-17 year.…

Is Sensation Seeking a correlate of excessive behaviors and behavioral addictions? A detailed examination of patients with Gambling Disorder and Internet Addiction

Sensation Seeking has repeatedly been related to substance use. Also, its role as a correlate of Gambling Disorder has been discussed although research has led to heterogeneous results. Likewise, first studies on Internet Addiction have indicated increased Sensation Seeking, to some extent contradicting clinical impression of patients suffering from internet addiction. We assessed Sensation Seeking in a clinical sample of n=251 patients with Gambling Disorder, n=243 patients with internet addiction, n=103 clients with excessive but not addictive internet use, and n=142 healthy controls. The clinical groups were further sub-divided according to the preferred type of addictive behavior (slot-…

Ambulante Rehabilitation und Behandlung der Internet- und Glücksspielsucht

Glücksspielcharakter von Computerspielen

ZusammenfassungDer Glückspielcharakter von kostenlosen Computerspielen verändert nicht nur das Freitzeiterleben der Spielenden, er hat auch psychosoziale und sozioökonomische Folgen. Ausgeklügelte Bezahlmechaniken verleiten Spielende zu hohen Investitionen ins Spiel. Glücksspielelemente wie z. B. Lootboxen, die Verschleierung von investierten Geldbeträgen und die Ausnutzung des Nutzerverhaltens für Kaufanreize, sind zentraler Bestandteil der Monetarisierungsstrategien der Publisher. Einige Länder wie Belgien oder Holland tragen dieser Entwicklung bereits Rechnung und haben Lootboxen als illegales Glücksspiel eingeordnet und mit einem Verbot belegt. Problematisch sind Spiele mit den genannte…

Internet Addiction and Internet Gaming Disorder

Several forms of excessive pathological Internet use, such as Internet addiction (IA), Internet gaming disorder (IGD), or gaming disorder (GD) are perceived as public health concerns. IGD was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a research diagnosis and recently GD was announced for the International Classification of Disease (ICD-11). IA represents a variety of excessive and unregulated consumption of video games, social networking, chat rooms, use of online pornography, online gambling, or the aimless gathering and research of information. The outpatient treatment program Short-Term Treatment of Internet and Computer Game Addiction (STICA) aims …