Montreal study finds some cell phone games could harm children’s development

Posted January 25, 2025 12:20 pm.
Behind free cell phone games lies a range of mechanics put in place by their creators to maximize profits to the detriment of the development of the children exposed to them.
“Even before they have a console in their hands, children often have access to their dad’s phone, their mom’s phone or even the family tablet,” explains Simon Delorme, neuropsychologist and postdoctoral fellow in communications at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). “There are a huge number of games available and they are subject to very little verification.”
He participated in writing the book “Video games for children: understanding them well to choose them better”, the content of which was informed by research carried out by Maude Bonenfant, Alexandra Dumont and Cédric Duchaineau. They analyzed more than 200 free cell phone games for children in order to dissect their anatomy.
According to Delorme, a “huge amount of exploitative mechanics” can be found in these free video games available on download platforms. They include the “monetization triad,” which includes the possibility of making microtransactions, broadcasting advertising and selling data.
“In the game, there are mechanics that go unmentioned. (…) We talk about them very little, even though they can have a significant impact on the development of young people,” adds Delorme.
These mechanics thus influence the player to stay connected as long as possible and to spend throughout the game, which ensures its monetization.
“These mobile games will make (the child) play to the detriment of fun. So we shouldn’t see them as entertainment systems, but as retention systems,” explains Delorme. “If the game is free, it means they are making a profit in another way, they have an interest in maximizing retention.”
Beyond player retention, these mechanics are known for their addictive power, which children cannot escape.
Normalization of monetary gain
Added to the monetization of mobile games is their casinification or “gamblification” through the exacerbated use of gambling imagery, such as slot machines, scratch cards or even childish characters with wheels of fortune.
“We are in the process of normalizing the use of casino imagery and monetary betting to integrate this into mobile games,” explains Delorme. “We know from studies that early exposure to significant monetary gains in a game of chance predicts the compulsive risk of playing video games later.”
Delorme deplores that too much importance is placed on the content of video games, which represents “only half of a gaming device.”
“There are mechanics in games that really go unnoticed,” he says. “We have parents who are proud to say that their child only plays FIFA, even though it is an extremely exploitative game with over-the-top gamification.”
Additionally, the age rating systems that mobile games have are said to be “inconsistent across platforms.”
How to choose a good game?
For Delorme, it is therefore important to question the way the game is played and not just its content.
He recommends turning to directly paid games to limit monetization mechanisms as much as possible and he recommends moving towards independent games.
“We need to go after the double AAs, the small developers and our Quebec studios that make excellent games,” adds Delorme.
He also urges parents to rely on the results of the British Academy Film Awards (BAFA), which reward the best video games each year. He also urges parents to sit down with their child and observe them playing on their cell phone to detect any pernicious mechanics.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews