Essay Sample on Loot Boxes: A Growing Challenge to Our Society

Introduction

Loot boxes affect children significantly. It is common to see young people playing games on their laptops, phones, and other devices. However, some of these games have features that require the gamer to unlock and buy rewards with real-world money. Sometimes the players are not aware of what is contained in these boxes. In recent times the number of games in Hawaii with loot boxes has grown considerably. Many people agree that the loot boxes pose a real challenge in our society.

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Unregulated Territory

Kelly Bergstrom, an assistant professor at the College of Social Sciences, UH Manoa, notes the lack of regulation to deal with loot boxes. "They say its 10% drop rate, but they can be lying, it's like the wild west, unregulated territory," she stated. The gaming companies design their games in such a way that it is hard to acquire the loot boxes. Children are therefore forced to use the money to unlock these boxes. "Now it's catching up with them," she adds, warning against how the effects of video games on the kids.

Nevertheless, Hawaiian parents would have nothing to worry about if the bill seeking to control the gambling nature of gaming had been enacted by the Legislature of the State of Hawaii. Also, the law, nicknamed "the loot box bill," illustrated how gaming company employs human psychology to ensure that the gamers keep spending money. The bill further confirms the absence of protection for the consumers, from companies that are more concerned with higher profits. Also, videogame companies do not have to disclose to the players about the loot boxes or gambling-like features.

Although some countries such as Belgium have banned games with loot boxes, others have ruled that games using loot crates are different from gambling. The US government ruled that the games with loot boxes cannot be classified as gambling since the gamer gets a reward after opening them. The United Kingdom also took a similar perspective.

Effects on the Youth

The psychological tricks used in the games are similar to those in the casinos or gambling machines. When a player opens the loot box, there are sirens, celebratory noises, and beautiful colors. These are meant to stimulate the senses of the player, making the player play more and more. However, to get another loot box to open and feel the pleasure, the player has to use real-world cash. Players can, therefore, be easily addicted to playing these games, especially at a young age, spending a lot of money daily to get rewards. Addicted players are bound to have financial problems now or later in their lives.

Moreover, children spend a lot of money to match their friends' levels in the games. When the children and adolescents are together, they compare their standards with each other. Those who are on a lower level spend hundreds of dollars to buy rewards to advance in the games and match their friends. The innocent kids do not realize the amount of money they spend because of peer pressure.

In her report, Anne Longfield, the children commissioner of England, revealed that some children had lost control over the number of hours spent while playing or the amount of money. "You do not realize how long you are actually playing... sometimes it's five or six hours," a sixteen-years-old told the report researchers. Children know that the chances of getting a valuable gift from the loot boxes are meager, but they still buy them, hoping to be the lucky ones. The report also shows that in the UK, about 93% of children play videogames. Those about 15 to 16 years old spend 1 to 3 hours playing games. 1to 3 hours is a lot of time, considering the risks they face online.

Loot boxes have been associated with problem gambling. Problem gambling involves excessive gambling leading to personal and financial trouble for the gambler. Also, problem gambling is connected to problems such as suicides, depressions, and anxiety. When individuals are exposed continuously to the pleasure of gambling, it leads to excessive gambling. When children are exposed to gambling, they are likely to undergo problem gambling as adults. Since loot boxes have the same characteristics as gambling, adolescents who play games with loot crates are likely to have problem gambling in the future. A study by Cairns and Zendle, the amount of money spent on loot boxes is proportional to the severity of problem gambling. The relationship between the two is stronger than that between problem gambling and drug abuse.

What Can Be Done

Although videogames can help children to create friendships, the adverse effects cannot be ignored. The difference between games with loot boxes and gambling is becoming difficult to distinguish with time. Therefore, laws should be passed to ensure then Hawaiian youths are protected from this menace. Such regulations could consider age regulation, the amount of time spent playing these games, and the amount of money to avoid addiction. Also, the laws should ensure videogames with loot crates disclose the information to the gamers.

Parents should regulate the amount of time and money spent by their children playing games. Since the law does not protect the children, the parents must ensure they protect their children and advise them about the dangers of addiction. By doing this, maybe cases of problem gambling and other disorders will reduce in the future.