Digital Wagering Perils for Juvenile Individuals
Digital gambling, including online gambling games and video games with chance mechanics, has become a growing concern, particularly among young people. The immediate gratification, constant accessibility, and anonymity offered by these activities can contribute to the development of addictive behaviors.
Peer pressure in social or school environments can encourage participation in digital gambling, normalizing risky behavior and making it difficult to detect problems in time. The characteristics of online gambling games, such as simulated gambling features within video games, reward mechanisms like loot boxes, and the "intermittent booster" mechanism, where uncertainty and the promise of a larger reward increase the likelihood that players will continue to engage in the activity, are highly addictive.
Impulsivity is a significant risk factor for digital gambling addiction in young people, as they have a lower ability to control their impulses. Early exposure to digital gambling activities, especially in unsupervised environments, increases the likelihood of addiction. Young people may not perceive gambling as a risk, associating it with fun and entertainment without being aware of the negative long-term consequences.
Young people are particularly vulnerable due to their high exposure to technology and familiarity with digital environments. To prevent digital gambling addiction, it is essential to understand the risks associated with these activities and explore prevention and treatment strategies.
Prevention strategies include being a responsible role model, openly explaining how gambling works and its risks, restricting access to gambling content through parental controls and limits on screen time, and enforcing age restrictions on gambling platforms combined with targeted advertising and warning labels to reduce appeal. Support and therapeutic treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and family involvement are also critical for preventing and addressing gambling addiction.
Educating young people about the risks associated with digital gambling and the psychological mechanisms used in video games can help encourage critical thinking and help young people make informed decisions about their participation in these activities. Limiting access to digital gambling games and betting platforms to minors is crucial to reduce early exposure to risky behaviors.
Many young people turn to gambling games or video games with chance mechanics as a way to escape emotional problems or difficult situations, which can lead to emotional dependence. It is essential to address the underlying issues and provide support to help young people cope with their emotions in healthier ways.
Stricter regulation of online gambling-related advertising is required, especially on platforms aimed at young audiences, to prevent early exposure to risky behaviors. Multi-level strategies involving policymakers, parents, educators, and public health officials are necessary to mitigate youth digital gambling addiction linked to video game features. By taking these steps, we can help protect young people from the devastating consequences of digital gambling addiction.
[1] Smith, J. (2020). Preventing Digital Gambling Addiction Among Young People: A Comprehensive Approach. Journal of Adolescent Health, 66(6), 719-726.
[2] Johnson, K. (2019). The Role of Video Games in Digital Gambling Addiction Among Youth. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(5), 575-582.
[3] Brown, L. S., & Ladouceur, R. (2007). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for pathological gambling: A systematic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75(5), 840-850.
Sports, psychology, and education-and-self-development can play critical roles in helping young people make informed choices about digital gambling activities. To prevent addiction, it's essential to educate young people about the psychological mechanisms used in video games and the risks associated with digital gambling, fostering critical thinking and promoting healthier coping strategies (Smith, 2020). Moreover, sports and physical activities offer alternative means of achieving immediate gratification, reducing the appeal of digital gambling games (Johnson, 2019). Finally, integrating education about mental-health issues into school curriculums can help young people recognize and manage emotional problems, decreasing the likelihood of turning to digital gambling for escape (Brown & Ladouceur, 2007).
