There are many different reasons or motivations as to why people get addicted to online games. Some motivations are for socialization, some motivations are for achievement, and some motivations are for immersion. Research has taken a look at each one of these components in depth and applied to the addictiveness of online computer games. Even though there is research, some believe that online game addiction is a myth.
Screen shot by M. Pine
Some of the socialization motivations for online gaming addiction are to meet new friends, expand their already existing social networks, and help others. Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) allow for this socialization to take place. Some popular MMORPGs are World of Warcraft and Everquest. These MMORPGs are able to cater to many different kinds of play style (Yee, 2006). Another way social addicts interact is by helping others in their group. This can mean a number of things like doing quests, killing the enemy, or telling a friend where to find certain items. These role playing games, which are the MMORPGs, allow users to play roles as different alternative heroes through virtual world, thus fulfilling the need for self-actualization (Wan & Chiou, 2006).
Motivation for achievement is a rather big reason why people get addicted to online computer games. According to Yee, some of these achievements could be for advancement, mechanics, or competition (2006). For advancement, it simply is just trying to be the first one done and to have the most power. The mechanics of addictive online computer games is learning how everything works in order to have the greatest performance of a character. Wang and Chu believe that online gaming addiction is obsessive passion. Obsessive passion results from a controlled internalization of an activity or object into a person’s identity…it leads a person to be controlled by the activity or object (Wang & Chu, 2007). MMORPGs carry a much higher risk of gaming addiction according to Meenan. This type of online computer game, like World of Warcraft, is designed to require increasing playing time to achieve higher levels and obtain more gold, weapons, skills, and power in a virtual world (Meenan, 2007). One thing to take into consideration when dealing with online gaming addiction is flow state. Clear objectives and immediate feedback, challenge encounter and adequate skill, combination of action and consciousness, concentration, sense of control, curiosity, loss of self-consciousness, purposeful experience, and inner interests are states which can be experiences and accomplished by online games (Wan & Chiou, 2006). Since gamers experienced a good flow state, they will continue to play these online games, with risks of becoming addicted.
Screen shot by M. Pine
The last component of online gaming addiction is that of immersion. This component is one that lets players escape from reality. Most of the time, these players are escaping from everyday things like work, school, family, friends. Some even go as far as not eating or sleeping. Meenan found that these MMORPGs can require up to 10 or more hours a day playing, with up to 70 hours of play time each week (2007). Yee found that some of the reasons for immersion play are for discovery, customization, and escapism (2006). Players will sit for hours and have their characters run around finding new things that other players did not know about. They will try to customize their character to have the best gear and weapon that the game will let. Also, they play because they do not want to deal with the problems in real life. Internet users who encounter obstacles with interpersonal relationships are eager to intimately access the Internet (Wan & Chiou, 2006). Wan and Chiou talked about the needs theory, specifically about satisfaction and dissatisfaction. They found that addictive usage of online games revealed that the addicts have to increase the time they spend on the Internet in order to obtain ‘tolerance’ (2006). Low self-esteem players see these online games as a way to avoid reality. They become addicted to the Internet due to deficient social skills and insufficient self-confidence (Wan & Chiou, 2006). One surprising reason why addictive immersion players play these online games is that it is a way of coping with reality. Grusser, Thalemann, and Griffiths found that players like to ‘play the hurt away’ (2007) and by playing these addictive games, violent action increases aggressive behavior, hostile emotion as well as aggressive thinking (2007).
As you can see, there are many different motivations as to why online game players get addicted to the Internet. Some of the components looked at through research were socialization, achievement, and immersion. Players play these addicting online games for a variety of reasons. Some want to play to make more friends, some want to play to have a powerful status in the game, and some play because they do not know how to deal with reality.
