Humans are wired to desire gratification, video games excel at providing it. A study found that “The amount of dopamine released while playing video games was similar to what is seen after intravenous injection of the stimulant drugs amphetamine or methylphenidate.”³ The instant gratification gaming produces provides short-term satisfaction but can cause real and lasting issues.¹
Individuals become accustomed to receiving consistent gratification from in-game accomplishments after even small outlays of effort. This creates the perception that all activities should provide consistent gratification after each outlay of effort.² When gratification is not received individuals tend to get frustrated, lose interest, and quit the activity.
“If you’re used to immediate, quantifiable progression as demonstrated by XP (points) or other progression markers in games, it can be hard to see why you should participate in any real-life activity that doesn’t offer a similar marker.”²
The gratification gamers feel while gaming can lead to shorter attention spans and/or disinterest in activities that don’t supply as much gratification as gaming does. Many of the most important things in life require prolonged effort that is not reinforced with continual gratification.
Instant Gratification: What Is It and Why Is It a Problem?¹ GameQuitters.com
“Instant gratification is the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay.”
“It has become increasingly easy for people to escape boredom whenever they want. The instant access to dopamine is a new reality of the 21st century we must grapple with. In the past when people were bored, hard work, passion, and creativity arose, instead, these products of boredom are decreasing, since the sense of being bored is decreasing.”
“Instant gratification is more accessible than ever. Social connections, questions, the need for food delivered to your door are all needs that can be fulfilled instantly. Video games extend this instant gratification issue.”
“The barrier to entry is very low in video games. You can pick one up and within hours you’ve got a pretty good grasp of how it works. You’ve been trained to become an expert in something with as little work as possible. When in reality, as we know, it takes discipline and hard work to become adept at a skill.”
Instant gratification leads to many problems such as:
Decreased attention span
Lack of focus
Losing interest in passions and commitments
I Want It Now: An Exploration of Competitive Gaming and Instant Gratification² Emily Morrow - Ritual Motion
“Nothing feels better than placing 1st in a battle royale or getting a legendary item that you really want out of a loot box. Developers know that and use instant gratification in designing gameplay structures that make the player feel good and want to play more.”
“The biggest benefit of instant gratification in gaming is also the most obvious: it makes you feel really, really good….These sorts of structures “hook” the player, making them wonder whether they can get even more cool items.”
“Video games have always been popular because they provide instant, quantitative markers of progress, whether that’s through unlockables, XP, or a rank.”
“Competitive games use this as a way to incentivize players to keep playing: if a game showers you in XP and rewards just for playing for the first time, you’re more likely to come back and play more (and spend money on future rewards).”
“Instant gratification can also cause tilt, anger, and a host of other negative feelings when playing with others.”
“Becoming heavily involved with instant gratification in competitive games can affect your life outside of games, too. If you’re used to immediate, quantifiable progression as demonstrated by XP or other progression markers in games, it can be hard to see why you should participate in any real-life activity that doesn’t offer a similar marker. It can also become more difficult to engage in activities that require dedication and improvement over time, like learning a new language, developing a craft, or playing an instrument.”
Game Theory: The Effects of Video Games on the Brain³ Amy Paturel MS, MPH - Brain and Life
“9 out of 10 children play video games. That's 64 million kids— some hit the keyboard or smartphone before they can string together a sentence. The problem: many researchers believe that excessive gaming before age 21 or 22 can physically rewire the brain.”
A study conducted in China performed MRI studies of the brains of college students that spent an average of 10 hours a day playing video games compared to those that played less than 2 hours a day. They found that the addicted gamers had less gray matter, which is the thinking part of the brain.
As early as 1990, scientists warned that “video games only stimulate brain regions that control vision and movement, other parts of the mind responsible for behavior, emotion, and learning could become underdeveloped.”
“A study published in the scientific journal Nature in 1998 showed that playing video games releases the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine. The amount of dopamine released while playing video games was similar to what is seen after intravenous injection of the stimulant drugs amphetamine or methylphenidate.”
“Violent video games are of concern to many experts. In a study of 45 adolescents, playing violent video games for only 30 minutes immediately lowered activity in the prefrontal regions of the brain compared to those who participated in a non-violent game. Previous research showed that just 10–20 minutes of violent gaming increased activity in the brain regions associated with arousal, anxiety, and emotional reaction, while simultaneously reducing activity in the frontal lobes associated with emotion regulation and executive control.”
“The very nature of action-entertainment games not only attracts young people with focus, attention, and anger issues (particularly in the case of violent games); it also tends to reinforce these negative behaviors.”