This blog post explores why people immerse themselves in simple smartphone games to avoid real-world stress. We examine the psychology behind the sense of stability and accomplishment provided by repetitive gameplay.
Recently, when taking the bus or subway to school, it’s common to see countless people holding smartphones and playing games. These many people are leisurely enjoying their games. Most smartphone games progress through simple controls, or even advance automatically, allowing players to hunt or collect items to advance. People stare blankly at these games, fixated on their phones during commutes, school runs, or even at home. This scene has become an everyday occurrence, with people immersing themselves in these small screens for extended periods. Perhaps smartphone games serve as a small escape from our daily lives.
Most men go to PC bangs (internet cafes) to enjoy numerous games with friends. They spend time together laughing and having fun playing games like StarCraft or League of Legends. Typically, we know people play games to relieve stress by feeling the satisfying tactile sensation of gameplay or to experience the thrill conveyed through the computer monitor. However, smartphone games offer less thrill and a poorer tactile experience compared to computer games. In fact, it would be more accurate to say they lack that satisfying tactile feel. When playing games on smartphones, the graphics are inferior to those on computers, and there are fewer games available. Despite this, people are deeply engrossed in smartphone games, spending countless hours on games with limited content, and it’s not uncommon to see them spending significant amounts of money on them. This may reflect a desire that goes beyond the simple enjoyment of the game, seeking satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment in their lives.
Why do people play smartphone games, which, in some ways, require less control than computer games and can even run automatically, potentially becoming boring? Smartphone games don’t demand as much control as computer games. Consequently, investing time, money, and effort makes it relatively easy to reach a certain level within the game. With smartphone games, investing to a certain degree allows you to reach your goals and reliably earn rewards. People can easily feel a sense of accomplishment from this. It’s also easy to clearly see what you lack and what you excel at within the game. Even if you fail in the game, you can erase it and try again. These elements provide a sense of stability and predictability that is hard to find in reality.
In contrast, the society we currently live in possesses precisely the opposite characteristics. Even when countless people invest time and effort into self-improvement, they often fail to achieve their desired outcomes. Furthermore, in the fierce competition surrounding college admissions, job hunting, and other pursuits, failure cannot simply be erased. Consequently, people are increasingly drawn to the smartphone world because, unlike their real lives, investing time and money in this virtual realm allows them to achieve their goals as they wish. In reality, uncertainty and failure are constant companions, but in smartphone games, the belief that one can achieve results solely through their own effort draws people deeper into the games.
Furthermore, the society we live in is developing at an incredibly rapid pace, and we are constantly striving to adapt to it. Consequently, people feel stressed and exhausted navigating society. In the case of computer games, the controls can be complex to navigate. Furthermore, when playing online games, if players don’t get along, they criticize each other and even insult one another. Computer games also often involve competing against other users. People already feel stress and fatigue in their daily lives, and they often experience this stress and fatigue while playing computer games as well. However, smartphone games require minimal manipulation, making them easy to learn, and since they are mostly played solo, players can progress without feeling tired. Moreover, these games provide a sense of stability through repetitive, consistent patterns, offering an escape from complex social interactions.
Today, many people are playing smartphone games on buses and subways. Through these games, which mirror their own weary routines, people gain small, easily attainable feelings of accomplishment that are hard to find in society. Within these smartphone games, people find vicarious satisfaction, substituting for their difficult and exhausting social lives. This phenomenon transcends simple entertainment, serving as an escape that allows them to momentarily forget the anxiety and stress felt in modern society. Smartphone games provide us with small comforts and minor achievements within our daily routines, and so, people continue to find their own solace within the small screens today.
