Abstract
In my Science, Technology and Society (STS) thesis, I investigated the social and ethical aspects and issues with modern video game digital economies, particularly that of Counter-Strike 2 (CS2). I analysed how systems such as engineered scarcity and value perception, behavioural reinforcement mechanisms, and the financialization of this game, blur the line between entertainment and heavily suggested financial participation. The systems made within and around CS2 create environments that can heavily encourage excessive engagement in a way that takes away autonomy and choice to not participate in the economy, as well as normalize speculative behaviour. Notably, these issues are exacerbated when affecting younger audiences who may not fully understand the risks involved, and are more vulnerable to the systems at play here.
In parallel, my technical thesis project, Aqua Health, involved the development of a gamified android application designed to promote healthier daily activity and sleep habits in a child-friendly and ethical manner, with minimal retention mechanics to also not incentivize excessive screen time. The application uses game mechanics such as rewards, progression and virtual collectibles to incentivize behaviours like meeting customizable step and sleep goals. Unlike the systems analysed in my STS research, Aqua Health was intentionally designed with the user’s health in mind, attempting to prioritize user well-being and positive reinforcement, especially for younger users.
Bringing these two projects together, my theses highlight the dual nature of gamification as a powerful tool to both help users, as well as a potential source of harm. Gamification takes advantage of game mechanics to introduce motivation and incentives to users, and this can be used to both harm users or uplift them. My theses aims to look at games and gamification mechanics and how they can affect younger audiences specifically. This synthesis underscores the broader need for ethical accountability in the development of video games, especially those that influence younger users’ behaviour at scale.
