Games like Roblox and Fortnite, which are especially popular among younger video gamers, may seem highly appealing due to their free-to-play model. Of course, they are not truly free. Players, our kids who play, and their parents pay a price.
What is the price?
That is what I explored in the latest episode of The Screenagers Podcast, where I spoke with an expert for solutions and with teen sisters who play Roblox and use Robux — the in-game currency that is bought with actual money. Fortnite, which is estimated to have approximately 650 million registered users, has V-Bucks. Minecraft, Call of Duty, Animal Crossing, and many others also have in-game currencies you buy with real-life money — currencies that are spent on virtual items.
Some games like Fortnite or Animal Crossing, only offer cosmetic items to purchase, like new costumes or accessories for your character (often known as skins), while other games feature “pay-to-win” mechanics where purchased items like more advanced weapons, extra lives, or access to better players for your team in a sports game increase the odds of levelling up and winning in the game.
Who does not want to level up, or have the latest ‘cool’ outfit for their character? Particularly at an age when social acceptance is at its peak.
The pull for youth to want more and more in-game currencies is intense and can result in a lot of conflicts in the home. Indeed, headlines like this these may be familiar to you:
US kids want games subscriptions and virtual currency more than games this Christmas
Kids Don’t Want Cash Anymore–They Want ‘Robux’
In fact, it is not uncommon for kids to get their allowance in virtual currencies, rather than real money.
One of many concerning issues with all these in-game currencies is that kids are being bombarded with messages to “buy, buy, buy”. This consumerist mentality comes with lots of problems, not the least of which is they are subjected to the constant chase of dopamine via new purchases.
My latest podcast that just went live yesterday features expert Mark Edwards, MS, MFT. Edwards is a long-time therapist who focuses on helping families in which a child or teen is experiencing problematic video game use.
Listen to the episode here: Apple Podcasts // Shopify // YouTube // Website
Mark and I discussed the fact that in-game purchases contribute to the desire to play more because we get a dopamine hit when we buy things. Many kids are unaware that a spending addiction is a real condition that wreaks havoc on many individuals. These individuals experience such a strong sense of reward when making a purchase that they continue the behavior repeatedly. This cycle often leads to significant life challenges, including relationship conflicts, accumulating debt, and more.
Mark says, In the podcast,
“Some people would refer to it as cheap dopamine.”
This shopping addiction is an important conversation to have with your kids and to bring up the fact that games now have in-game purchases which makes it much more challenging to pull away from them. Mark talks about one way to help if the kid is buying in-game purchases is to make sure they have a budget.
Finally, I want to highlight an important point: Mark works closely with families to help children understand the value of money and learn how to budget effectively in life.
“The rule of threes is that if your children get an allowance each week or each month. Your objective as a parent is to teach a lesson, not just give the money. The rule of threes essentially suggests that you take whatever that allowance might be, and it may be based on chores or just because you're 11 or 15 years old, but that allowance is split in three different directions:
1. The first third is to be spent immediately. Everybody needs to learn the joy, the power of being able to go out and buy something right now that is a joy, or it's something that tastes good immediately.
2. The next third of the allowance should be put aside to save. It's really important for children to recognize that money that's saved grows over time compounds. Five dollars saved now, in 20 years' time, is significantly larger than $5. That's a lesson for children to learn.
3. The last third should be given away. Because, again, it's valuable for children to realize that I have something here, and there are many other people in many other circumstances who don't have this $5. The kids decide who they give that money to. It can be an animal shelter, it can be someone on the street, it can be somebody who lost their home in a fire. Children get to learn the power of that money to be given away.
Questions to get the conversation started on this topic with your group or family:
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Games like Roblox and Fortnite, which are especially popular among younger video gamers, may seem highly appealing due to their free-to-play model. Of course, they are not truly free. Players, our kids who play, and their parents pay a price.
What is the price?
That is what I explored in the latest episode of The Screenagers Podcast, where I spoke with an expert for solutions and with teen sisters who play Roblox and use Robux — the in-game currency that is bought with actual money. Fortnite, which is estimated to have approximately 650 million registered users, has V-Bucks. Minecraft, Call of Duty, Animal Crossing, and many others also have in-game currencies you buy with real-life money — currencies that are spent on virtual items.
Some games like Fortnite or Animal Crossing, only offer cosmetic items to purchase, like new costumes or accessories for your character (often known as skins), while other games feature “pay-to-win” mechanics where purchased items like more advanced weapons, extra lives, or access to better players for your team in a sports game increase the odds of levelling up and winning in the game.
Who does not want to level up, or have the latest ‘cool’ outfit for their character? Particularly at an age when social acceptance is at its peak.
The pull for youth to want more and more in-game currencies is intense and can result in a lot of conflicts in the home. Indeed, headlines like this these may be familiar to you:
US kids want games subscriptions and virtual currency more than games this Christmas
Kids Don’t Want Cash Anymore–They Want ‘Robux’
In fact, it is not uncommon for kids to get their allowance in virtual currencies, rather than real money.
One of many concerning issues with all these in-game currencies is that kids are being bombarded with messages to “buy, buy, buy”. This consumerist mentality comes with lots of problems, not the least of which is they are subjected to the constant chase of dopamine via new purchases.
For a long time, people have been talking about how video games might be linked to extreme acts of violence, such as school shootings. The fact is millions of youth have played violent video games, and far less than 1% will ever do any such acts of violence. Today I look at two studies that shed more light on the ACTUAL effects that violent games can have on youth behaviors.
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In today's blog, I delve into the darker side of gaming, from the aggressive exchanges and trash-talking in first-person shooters like Call of Duty and even Minecraft and Roblox. This discussion is featured in my latest podcast episode, where I interview a gamer and Dr. Kishonna Gray, an assistant professor in digital studies at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Gray, who explores the human dynamics in video games and assists parents in navigating challenging aspects of gaming culture, provides valuable insights and solutions.
READ MORE >
Today I’m sharing two polar opposites stories of people’s choices around video gaming — extremes can be great conversation starters. One is from a kid who decided, on his own, to stop all video gaming essentially, and the other is about teens attending a high school that is 100% focused on video gaming and the video gaming industry.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
