Insight: Game On
News and current affairs, Intercultural understanding
52:16
From Fortnite to Candy Crush, for many people video games are a source of entertainment, relaxation, a chance to build friendships, or a career.
But for a minority, games can be a problem.
With 67 per cent of Australians playing video games, and 97 per cent of households with children having video games, Insight asks, “how much is too much? When does video gaming stop being fun?”
Laurie Darby represents the fastest growing segment of the population new to games - the over 65s. Retired and living alone, she tells Jenny Brockie that she checks in daily with her family and friends by playing word games on her mobile.
Zion, 11, loves playing Fortnite with his friends, and his mother, Rosie, works hard to set boundaries around his gaming. “He has other responsibilities he has to do first, like his homework, and walking and picking up after the dog,” she explains.
For Taei Aluni and Maddelin Walster, video games are a source of tension. Taei would keep playing if he was allowed to, but Maddelin says he’s “like a vacant partner” when he’s on the games, and it’s affecting their family.
In the wake of the World Health Organisation including “gaming disorder” in its latest International Classification of Diseases, Insight considers whether or not it’s the personality of the gamer, or features built into the games themselves, which sees some people become hooked, while others manage to keep it just for fun.
