What Is Behind the DCMS’ Inquiry?
After its recent investigation about the fake news in the social networks, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has decided to look further into the effect that the digital technologies could have on people. The official inquiry is a part of the Department’s campaign against the addictive mechanics in modern technology and video games. The DCMS will further focus on the relationship between gaming and gambling and will explore the effects of in-game spending on children. We remind you that an official report released at the end of 2017, demonstrated shocking numbers, according to which primary school pupils spent £500 on games such as Fifa, Call of Duty and Overwatch. Therefore, the interest of the UK Government to protect the children and the young adults from the harmful effect of the video games is not surprising at all. Damian Collins, Chair of the DCMS Committee, expressed the Department’s interest with the following words:
“During our recent inquiries, the committee has heard repeated concerns about the impact to society of the increasing amounts of time that people spend immersed in online worlds, and the potentially addictive nature of social media and gaming. We want to explore these concerns during this inquiry and consider what the right response should be in setting public policy for the future.”
The DCMS’ inquiry is the first step into taking actions against the video games’ addictive character. So far there has been little to no activity regarding the issue apart from the UKGC’s distant observation of the so-called loot-boxes. Meanwhile, the regulating authorities in the Netherlands and Belgium have concluded that the video games that involve payment have the same addictive character as the slot machines. As safety measures, they have officially asked the developers to make changes to the games distributed in each country respectively.
The Virtual Technology’s Impact on Society
According to the DCMS, the social networks such as Facebook and Twitter could also lead to addiction due to their slot-machine-like design that invites users to visit the page far too frequently. Thus, as a part of their investigation, the DCMS is interested not only in revealing the actual addictive effect that social networks may have on people but also in finding sufficient suggestions of how to improve the situation. The Committee will further focus on the online security offered in the UK digital market as Damian Collins stated:
“The Committee will also consider how individuals’ online data is used by immersive technologies and what security is offered. The Government has recently pledged to make the UK ‘the safest place to be online and the best place to start and grow a digital business’.”
The DCMS Seeks Written Suggestions
As a part of their inquiry, the Committee currently seeks written submissions that address the following issues:
- The immersive media industry
- The future of eSports in the UK
- The wider uses of “gamification” and VR/AR
- Tackling digital and gaming addiction
- The links between gaming and gambling
- Data security and infrastructure
Each individual, organisation and other with the relevant expertise is welcome to submit their evidence by Monday 14 January 2019. Each submission should be no longer than 3,000 words, be in Word format, with numbered paragraphs and as plain as possible. You can find further details in the DCMS’ official announcement. If you wish to contribute and submit a suggestion, you can do so using the official submission form.
