Video games and Memes: The emotional regulatory crutches of millennials
The pixelated games of yore have been replaced with high definition games, games so detailed you can see the veins of leaves aesthetically carved into the gamelplay. These games have become a cornerstone in the normal development of children in today’s culture, and the game developers are not the type to let this opportunity to pass up. They are using all the tricks in the book to get the generation hooked. And one ace up their sleeve is cashing on emotions. In this post-information age, emotional outcomes achieved by gamification is a normal and accepted form of entertainment.
It is proposed that gaming aids players in satisfying basic psychological needs such as autonomy and feelings of competence. Relatable isn’t it? Funny enough, relatedness and insight has also been reported as the basis for seeking out the controller. And a personal favorite of all millennials ‘Nostalgia’, has also been implicated as a factor adding allure to gaming activity.
All things considered, what exactly video games represent for the millennials is that of a mechanism for gratification. A quick and easy way to get distracted or escape the reality, stemming from feelings swinging between boredom and stress.
Wielded correctly this sword can either swing to the positive side- by aiding stress management, or swing in the opposite direction- fueling escapism leading to a loss of reality.
Another interesting phenomenon that millennials are obsessed with are memes. This popularity is alluded to the emotional selection (content) hypothesis- with innovative platforms rising day-by-day to share and talk about similar interests, a hundred different whatsapp groups, leads to in-group/out-group dynamics, and its dependent social talk and self esteem.
Another source for this phenomenon is social validation. Sharing memes increases group solidarity and engages emotion sharing. And while internet by itself does not motivate the sharing of memes, the relative ease with which a large audience can be reached makes it an ideal platform for meme sharing.
Video games and memes have become an inseparable part of millennial culture, seeping into the very psyche of the population, and it is here to stay, for better or for worse.
References:
- Hemenover, S. H., & Bowman, N. D. (2018). Video games, emotion, and emotion regulation: expanding the scope. Annals of the International Communication Association, 42(2), 125–143
- Guadagno, R. E., Rempala, D. M., Murphy, S., & Okdie, B. M. (2013). What makes a video go viral? An analysis of emotional contagion and Internet memes. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(6), 2312–2319.
