Each video game is addictive for different reasons. Also, each person may find different elements of a game addictive. Although every case is unique, there are general patterns that can help explain why video games are addictive.
Video games are addictive because they help meet our basic psychological need for a sense of freedom, purpose/progress, and social connection.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors.
Video games offer a sense of freedom
Video games can be addictive because they offer a high degree of freedom that is unparalleled outside gaming environments. Let’s take a look at a few ways video games facilitate a sense of freedom.
Video games allow you to escape from social constraints.
From fantasy science fiction worlds to realistic combat environments, games allow a person to escape from the normal constraints of the offline world. This is especially relevant for someone struggling with social anxiety.
Offline social interaction can be challenging for individuals who find social situations anxiety-provoking, confusing, or over-stimulating. Games offer an escape from the constraints of social anxiety, providing a sense of freedom and control.
Although games serve as a short-term escape, avoiding in-person social situations comes at a long-term cost. Rather than facing one’s fears and dealing with the anxiety, games offer virtual freedom while keeping an individual dependent on the game as a form of escapism. Using games to avoid difficult emotions can lead to increased use over time, making in-person interaction even more difficult.
Video games allow you to experiment with different identities.
By experimenting with one’s personal gaming avatar, games offer the chance to try out new identities instantly, without the long-term social implications of the offline world.
This can be especially engaging for individuals who are dissatisfied with their offline identity, suffer from low self-esteem, or feel they cannot express certain aspects of their identity in their offline social context.
Identity experimentation through games can be healthy and liberating, but it can also be detrimental to developing one’s offline identity and sense of self-esteem. This is especially relevant if games serve as a form of escape or way to avoid confronting deeper self-esteem issues.
Video games offer a sense of adventure.
Games offer the infinite ability to explore new worlds. For those high in novelty-seeking, gaming environments offer a high level of exploration and experimentation without the dangers present in the offline world.
The modern world can often seem mundane, especially if you are bored and dissatisfied in your work or schooling. Gaming environments offer a way out of this monotony of everyday life and can be addictive because of the infinite possibilities they present.
Video games offer a sense of purpose
Video games can be addictive because they offer a strong sense of mission and purpose. Let’s take a closer look at how games offer a sense of purpose.
Video games facilitate a sense of progress through leveling up.
Games offer a sense of progress through their mission orientation. In addition, players gain a sense of mastery when their skills improve. This mission orientation and skill improvement are symbolized by character development, resource acquisition, leveling up to new environments, and various point systems.
This sense of progression can be especially rewarding for someone who feels like they are in a rut in their offline life. Games offer a way to meet our basic need to feel like we are progressing, even if it is virtual.
Another addictive feature common in games is their variable-ratio reward schedule. Like slot machines, games are designed with features that randomly reward players, keeping them hooked on a sense of anticipation. Loot boxes are a common form of this reward structure.
Video games with no defined end encourage infinite play.
Games with no defined endpoint encourage long-term investment. This can be addictive because the more time and energy one invests into an activity, the more difficult it is for them to simply abandon all of their efforts.
In addition, long-term play with a specific avatar builds a sense of identity investment, making it more difficult to let go.