Leveling Up: How Posters on r/StopGaming Describe Video Gaming, Its Consequences, and Trying to Stop John Gregory Daues M.A. Thesis Spring 2017 University of Houston Department of Sociology * *Department of Sociology, 3551 Cullen Blvd Room 450, Houston, TX 77204-3012, [email protected]. LEVELING UP INTRODUCTION Video games are popular enough to be considered normal in the United States today (Gamespot 2010; Martins, Williams, Harrison, and Ratan 2010; Yao, Manhood, and Linz 2010; Greitemeyer and Osswald 2011; Cooley 2013; Jordan 2014; Entertainment Software Association 2013; Near 2013; Mason 2014; Copenhaver 2015; Dalisay 2015; DeCamp and Ferguson 2015; Iwen 2015; Kondrat 2015; Weststar 2015; Charrieras and Ivanova 2016; Kampler and Joseph 2016; Turner 2016; Choi 2017; Markovits and Green 2017). They are marketed to people of all ages and accessible to anyone that can afford them (Gamespot 2010; Entertainment Software Association 2013). In the United States, video gaming as an industry is worth several billion dollars and comprised of millions of players (Gamespot 2010; Entertainment Software Association 2013). It is a major source of entertainment, particularly in the middle class, among children, and among adults ages 18 to 30 (American Psychiatric Association 2000; Behm-Morawitz and Mastro 2009; Gamespot 2010; Coyne, Busby, Bushman, Gentile, Ridge, and Stockdale 2012; Entertainment Software Association 2013). While there are stereotypes about the culture of video gaming (particularly, as a culture that reflects hegemonic masculinity), it is safe to say that men, women, and children of all ages and ethnic backgrounds in the United States are exposed to video games or video game advertising (Connell 1987; Kimmel, Brod, and Kaufman 1994; American Psychiatric Association 2000; Behm-Morawitz and Mastro 2009; Gamespot 2010; Colburn 2011; Coyne et al. 2012; Entertainment Software Association 2013; Greitemeyer 2013a, 2013b; Hormes, Kearns, and Timko 2014; Ash 2015; DeCamp and Ferguson 2015; Kocurek 1 LEVELING UP 2015; Kondrat 2015; Atkinson and Rodgers 2016; Bourgonion and Vandermeersche 2016; Cade and Gates 2017). Almost as conventional as video gaming today, is talk about video gaming being problematic in some way (American Psychiatric Association 2000; Behm-Morawitz and Mastro 2009; Colburn 2011; Coyne et al. 2012; Greitemeyer 2013a 2013b; Hormes, Kearns, and Timko 2014; Ash 2015; DeCamp and Ferguson 2015; Kocurek 2015; Kondrat 2015; Atkinson and Rodgers 2016; Bourgonion and Vandermeersche 2016; Charrieras and Ivanova 2016; Cade and Gates 2017; Choi 2017). Sometimes, video games are understood to be addictive, and causing of more significant life issues (Cubbins and Klepinger 2007; Colburn 2011; Coyne et al. 2012; Hollingdale and Greitemeyer 2013; Greitemeyer 2013a, 2013b; Gueta 2013; Saline, Jacke, Kier, Franz, and Mann 2013; Hull, Brunette, Prescott, and Sargent 2014; Jordan 2014; DeCamp and Ferguson 2015; Smethurst 2015; Kampler and Joseph 2016; Choi 2017). This may be understood particularly in light of the fact that addiction is caused by chemicals that occur naturally in the human body (Faulkner 1991). Addiction is a serious life issue, is significant enough to cause people to experience dramatic changes in their physical and mental health, and has accordingly been studied by researchers in fields such as medicine, psychology, and sociology (Cubbins and Klepinger 2007; Colburn 2011; Coyne et al. 2012; Hollingdale and Greitemeyer 2013; Greitemeyer 2013a, 2013b; Gueta 2013; Saline, Jacke, Kier, Franz, and Mann 2013; Akers, Gordon, Reyna and Stevenson 2014; Hull, Brunette, Prescott, and Sargent 2014; Jordan 2014; DeCamp and Ferguson 2015; Smethurst 2015; Kampler and Joseph 2016; Choi 2017). However, typical of these studies is a consensus that 2 LEVELING UP addiction is harmful in some way, whether it is related to health, career, or social outcomes (Lindesmith 1938, 1965, 1968; Stephens 1991; Keane 2002; Dietler 2006; Cubbins and Klepinger 2007; Weinstein 2010; Schafer 2011). Because addiction may be perceived as a serious and harmful life issue, then, it is typical to suggest some way of trying to stop addiction (Faulkner 1991; Stephens 1991; Keane 2002; Dietler 2006;). But then again, ideas about trying to stop addiction may be as disparate as ideas about addiction itself. Because of the disparate perspectives of the disciplines that produce research on addiction, there are many different perceptions of addiction and schools of thought concerning how it should be addressed. Now that researchers have uncovered more about the ways addiction involves dopamine, serotonin, and other naturally occurring chemicals in the human body, additionally, it has been noted almost anything can be addicting, so long as it stimulates these chemicals. Also, in light of the broader life issues that addiction may affect, there is variation in perspectives on how to treat addiction and its consequences. If considering the broader disparity in perspectives on addiction, and why it may be more difficult to examine video gaming in light of this disparity, then it may be said that the purpose of this thesis is to describe, from a constructionist viewpoint, the ways video gamers think of their gaming. Specifically, I describe how video gamers on a particular website (used similarly to a blog), reddit.com/r/StopGaming, describe their video gaming, the consequences of their video gaming, and their attempts to stop video gaming. Using a constructionist perspective, I collected data from the narratives of video gamers and tried to understand their experiences. 3 LEVELING UP To answer my research questions, I used qualitative content analysis, an unobtrusive method in which the unit of analysis is a narrative (and not an individual), guaranteeing that the choice of method causes no harm to individuals. To gather a sample, I opened r/StopGaming and filtered out the all-time top-rated posts on the site. I then read through the original posts and subsequent comment threads with inclusion criteria to look for any narrative in which the poster (1) mentioned that they played video games, (2) described consequences of their video gaming, and (3) mentioned at least one way they tried to stop video gaming. The final sample size was N=100, at which point I determined that I had theoretically saturated my categories of analysis (Charmaz 2014). To analyze my data, I used a three-step coding phase (Strauss and Corbin 1990). First, I used initial coding by summarizing and listing the data. Second, I used axial coding by synthesizing the larger lists of data and creating categories. Third, I used selective coding by refining these categories so that they reflect my research questions. Posters on r/StopGaming described their video gaming as an outright addiction, as a compulsion, like taking drugs, as a form of escapism, as something to be moderated, as a lifestyle, as having a gamer identity, or by identifying with r/StopGaming. They described consequences such as experiencing the conventional steps of physical addiction (cravings, tolerance, withdrawal), lifestyle changes, problems with social relationships, problems with their career or academics, wasting time and money, or neglecting other hobbies. To try to stop video gaming, posters described a variety of self-improvement strategies, abstinence, moderation, developing hobbies, or working on social relationships. 4 LEVELING UP First, I will present a background on video gaming, addiction, and trying to stop addiction, drawing primarily from sociological literature. Second, after listing my research questions, I will describe how I used qualitative content analysis to create a sample and coding strategy to answer them. Then, I will explain the results of my analysis, including more particular details from the narratives. I will discuss the results of my analysis, and suggest ideas for future research. Lastly, I present appendices to display my analysis in lists and tables, and my references for the sociological background. BACKGROUND Video Games Video games are popular enough to be considered normal in the United States today (Gamespot 2010; Martins, Williams, Harrison, and Ratan 2010; Yao, Manhood, and Linz 2010; Greitemeyer and Osswald 2011; Cooley 2013; Jordan 2014; Entertainment Software Association 2013; Near 2013; Mason 2014; Copenhaver 2015; Dalisay 2015; DeCamp and Ferguson 2015; Iwen 2015; Kondrat 2015; Weststar 2015; Charrieras and Ivanova 2016; Kampler and Joseph 2016; Turner 2016; Choi 2017; Markovits and Green 2017). It is estimated that as much as half of the United States’ (over 150 million individuals) population plays video games (Entertainment Software Association 2013). Video games are marketed to people of all ages and accessible to anyone that can afford them (Gamespot 2010; Entertainment Software Association 2013). It is a major source of entertainment, particularly in the middle class, among children, and among adults ages 18 to 30 (American Psychiatric Association 2000; Behm- Morawitz and Mastro 2009; Gamespot 2010; Coyne, Busby, Bushman, Gentile, Ridge, and Stockdale 2012; Entertainment Software Association 2013). In fact, the United 5 LEVELING UP States’ video gaming industry is worth several billion dollars (Gamespot 2010; Entertainment Software Association 2013). Video games are even viewed as an “essential communication medium” for Americans, because of the way players develop logic and communication skills through game and team play (Kondrat 2015). Most video gamers in the United