Why do video games cause

Video games help people satisfy basic psychological needs. That is one of the reasons why gamers cannot easily remove them, US scientists said.

"We think people are passionate about electronics not just because of fun. There must be a deeper theory behind that phenomenon," said Richard Ryan, a psychologist at the University of Rochester, USA. .

In the study, Ryan and his colleagues divided 1,000 players into four groups and asked them to play different games. Before and after playing, the experts all asked some questions to find out what fundamental motivations make gamers like and don't want to quit playing video games.

Most volunteers acknowledge that they cannot quit video games because they give them many opportunities to succeed, feel free and even connect with other players. Those benefits are much greater than the feeling of enjoyment for being played. Volunteers feel most satisfied when the game has the same challenges and positive experiences as in real life.

With online games with the participation of thousands of people, the need to link together helps gamers be aware of the importance of themselves as well as relationships with others. That feeling creates satisfaction and motivation that makes them want to play next time, the researchers assert.

Ryan stressed that not all video games are capable of satisfying basic psychological needs. However, games that do that will "hold" gamers for a long time.

Viet Linh