Intervention Frame

Continuing from the previous post, with my researches (please see bibliography at the end), I am aiming to create an intervention that not only raises awareness about the potential negative impacts of freemium mobile gaming on children and teenagers, but also provides them with alternatives and strategies for healthier social interactions and gaming habits. Here’s a software implementation that could help achieve these goals:

Title: GameWise – Balancing Play and Life

Overview: GameWise is a comprehensive mobile application that combines educational content, virtual reality experiences, and social engagement to help children and teenagers develop a healthier approach to freemium gaming, fostering better social skills and spending habits.

Features:

1. Educational Modules:
   • Interactive educational modules that explain the psychology behind freemium gaming tactics and their potential negative effects.
   • Information about balanced gaming, time management, and recognizing manipulative game design.
   • Strategies for maintaining a healthy balance between gaming and real-life activities.
2. Virtual Reality Simulations:
   • Immersive VR experiences that simulate in-game scenarios with manipulative tactics.
   • Players experience firsthand how these tactics influence their decisions and emotions.
   • Visualize the impact of excessive spending and time commitment on their virtual avatars.
3. Social Interaction Hub:
   • A platform for players to engage with peers who are also using GameWise.
   • Group discussions, forums, and chat rooms for sharing experiences and strategies.
   • Periodic challenges or quests that encourage teamwork and cooperation among users.
4. Real-Life Activity Integration:
   • Integration with local events, clubs, and activities to encourage offline social interactions.
   • Provides suggestions for sports, arts, volunteering, and other activities to diversify interests.
5. Personalized Progress Tracking:
   • Users can set personal goals for gaming time and social interactions.
   • The app tracks progress and provides visual representations of achievements.
   • Rewards for achieving milestones, reinforcing positive behavior changes.
6. Parental Involvement:
   • Dedicated sections for parents to understand their child’s gaming habits and progress.
   • Parent-child challenges or cooperative tasks within the app to encourage joint engagement.
7. Gaming Insights and Reviews:
   • Provides unbiased reviews of popular freemium games, highlighting their monetization tactics.
   • Empowers users to make informed decisions about the games they play.

Implementation Considerations:

• Development Platform: GameWise could be developed for both iOS and Android platforms to reach a wide range of users.
• User Experience (UX): The app’s interface should be user-friendly, intuitive, and visually appealing, especially for the target age group.
• Privacy and Safety: The app should adhere to strict privacy guidelines, especially when dealing with underage users. It should include parental controls and ensure that interactions are safe and moderated.
• Gamification: Implement gamified elements within the app, such as rewards, badges, and challenges, to keep users engaged and motivated.
• Partnerships: Collaborate with schools, community centers, and educational institutions to promote the app and integrate it into educational programs.
• Feedback Mechanism: Regularly gather feedback from users to improve the app’s effectiveness and address any concerns.

By combining educational content, VR experiences, social engagement, and parental involvement, GameWise could effectively address the issues you’ve identified and promote healthier gaming habits and social interactions among children and teenagers.

*note: I have translated the above app concept into Chinese and is currently collecting consented feedbacks from my younger sister and her friends (age 14-16), as well as their parents on how I can implement it in real life.

Logo and Mobile App Mock-ups:

Bibliography:

1. Research on Freemium Games and Monetization Tactics:
   • De Grove, F., Cauberghe, V., & Van Looy, J. (2016). The effect of freemium in mobile gaming on social casino gamers. Computers in Human Behavior, 54, 490-498.
   • Ferguson, C. J., & Garza, A. (2011). Call of (civic) duty: Action games and civic behavior in a large sample of youth. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(2), 770-775.
2. Impact of Mobile Games on Children and Adolescents:
   • Gentile, D. A., & Anderson, C. A. (2003). Violent video games: The effects on youth, and public policy implications. In Handbook of children and the media (pp. 223-254). Sage Publications.
   • Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., & Ortiz de Gortari, A. B. (2013). Videogames as therapy: An updated selective review of the medical and psychological literature. International Journal of Privacy and Health Information Management (IJPHIM), 1(2), 71-96.
3. VR/AR for Behavior Change and Education:
   • Slater, M., & Sanchez-Vives, M. V. (2016). Enhancing our lives with immersive virtual reality. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 3, 74.
   • Lee, J. J., & Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in education: What, how, why bother?. Academic exchange quarterly, 15(2), 146.
4. Promoting Healthy Gaming and Social Interaction:
   • Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2017). A large-scale test of the goldilocks hypothesis: Quantifying the relations between digital-screen use and the mental well-being of adolescents. Psychological Science, 28(2), 204-215.
   • Coyne, S. M., Stockdale, L., Warburton, W., Gentile, D. A., & Yang, C. (2017). “Just one more level”: Identifying and characterizing video game playing patterns in children. Academic Pediatrics, 17(4), 403-409.
5. Parental Involvement in Children’s Gaming:
   • Ferguson, C. J., Rueda, S. M., Cruz, A. M., Ferguson, D. E., Fritz, S., & Smith, S. M. (2011). Violent video games and aggression: Causal relationship or byproduct of family violence and intrinsic violence motivation?. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 38(12), 1275-1298.