Global Market Forces Impacting Children’s Behaviour
Dr Bharti Gupta
Children not paying heed to their parents is a perpetual concern in parenting. This concern always needed attention for its redressal in its current societal context. In the present time of abundance and accessibility of technological gadgets and tech-based entertainment resources, this concern, is deeper and more serious in terms of the repercussions on the mental health of the children, their understanding of life, and the meaningfulness of the social and cultural values. Immediate attention is needed to understand the dynamics of this emerging phenomenon of techslavery having spread across all age groups, especially the children.Deeper insights reveal that Global Market Forces play a latent and pivotal role in disrupting the socio-cultural setup of the civilized societies of the world to make the world dance to their tunes of intense materialism and consumerism. Any leniency in handling this issue will be responsible and pave the way for a society comprised of individuals who are less concerned with the reality and meaningfulness of the real world, more self-engrossed, self-centered, emotionally dry, and indifferent to the world around them. The tech-slaved generations are devoid of emotional connection with their parents and siblings, what to say about society? Contribution towards the country is far off imagination for such generations who are imbued with Westernized values delivered through cartoons, gaming apps, digital games on metaverse platforms, social media like snap chat, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, youtube shorts, etc.
The high screen dependency creates a communication gap between parents and children, as the latter prioritizes virtual achievements and gaming interactions over real-life relationships and guidance. Parents struggle to gain their attention, with children frequently exhibiting defiance or frustration when interrupted. This behavior strains family dynamics as well as hampers the development of crucial social and emotional skills, as children miss out on valuable lessons and bonding moments with their families. The addictive nature of the virtual engagements, often leaves little time for children to engage in meaningful conversations, traditional activities, or responsibilities, further widening the gap between generations. The digital games have eroded child development in the age when values are to be inculcated to develop a being from the basic animal instincts to humanistic values with consciousness and power of self-discipline, self-control, and service for others. The fast-pacedand instant gratification-stimulatinggames have significantly reduced the attention span of kids. These have programmed their minds to expect immediate rewards, leading to difficulties in focusing on slower, more deliberate tasks like studying or reading.
The number of disadvantages of this gaming culture is too intense in magnitude that whatever the meagre good things in it get overshadowed. Many games promote violence, competitiveness, and aggression, shifting the focus from collaborative and value-based lessons that Indian cultural narratives traditionally emphasize.Mobile games often incorporate globalized themes like superhero franchises, war simulations, and Western mythologies, which overshadow traditional Indian storytelling and cultural motifs.These games rarely represent Indian folklore, diminishing children’s exposure to their heritage.
Mobile games are designed with addictive mechanics, reducing time spent on family activities that are integral to transmitting cultural values and traditions.Western Values embedded games often depict lifestyles, fashion, and behaviors that promote consumerism and individualism, diverging from the collectivist values of Indian culture. It has been observed that the characters in some global animation characters display casual or irreverent attitudes toward elders, which can influence children to question or disregard traditional Indian respect for elders.
Excessive screen time displaces cultural activities like storytelling, family rituals, and engagement in festivals. Children often mimic characters’ slang, accents, and behaviors that may conflict with traditional Indian norms.The dominance of globalized digital content contributes to cultural homogenization, where unique Indian cultural values are diluted.As children gravitate toward global products and franchises, local Indian games struggle to compete
Some foreign mobile games that are often considered detrimental to children due to their themes, content, or impact on behavior are as follows :
PUBG Mobile (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds): This is developed by Krafton (South Korea).This promotes violence and aggressive behavior through its battle royale gameplay, Highly addictive, leading to excessive screen time and neglect of studies or physical activities, reports of children displaying aggressive tendencies, and even health issues due to prolonged playtime.
Fortnite Origin: Developed by Epic Games (USA). This focuses on survival and combat, often glamorizing violence, encourages in-game purchases (microtransactions), promotes consumerism, and Can create social pressures among peers due to the competitive and trend-driven nature of the game.
Roblox: Developed by Roblox Corporation (USA).This Features user-generated content that can sometimes be inappropriate or unsafe for children,Risk of exposure to online predators and unsafe chat environments, Encourages in-app purchases, which may lead to financial misuse by children.
Call of Duty: Developed by Activision (USA). highly violent first-person shooter gameplay that desensitizes children to aggression, and promotes militaristic themes that may not be suitable for young minds.Excessive focus on winning and competition can lead to frustration and anxiety.
Among Us: Developed by InnerSloth (USA).Though the gameplay itself seems harmless, it fosters lying and deception as part of the strategy, which might influence younger children negatively.Online interactions can expose children to inappropriate language and behavior from strangers.
GachaLife : Developed by Lunime (USA).Contains user-generated storylines, some of which may have inappropriate or mature themes.Encourages excessive focus on appearance and materialism due to customizable characters and in-app purchases.Risks of exposure to cyberbullying and harmful online communities.
Clash of Clans/Clash Royale: Developed by Supercell (Finland).Highly addictive due to its strategic and competitive nature, Promotes aggressive tactics and resource hoarding, encourages spending real money on in-game advantages, fostering a “pay-to-win” mentality.
Candy Crush Saga: Developed by King (Sweden).Extremely addictive puzzle game that offers little educational value, Encourages microtransactions, leading to potential financial misuse.Repetitive gameplay can affect mental focus and creativity.
TikTok Games : Integrated into TikTok (China).Short, addictive games designed to increase screen time.Risk of exposure to inappropriate or harmful content due to the platform’s broader ecosystem.Focus on trends and peer approval may lead to social anxiety and low self-esteem.
Minecraft: Developed by Mojang (Sweden).Although educational in creative mode, survival mode includes combat and violence.Online multiplayer exposes children to inappropriate language or bullying.Addictive nature can lead to excessive playtime.
Angry Birds (and derivatives): Developed by Rovio Entertainment (Finland).Simple, repetitive gameplay can cause dependency-like behavior.Promotes destructive problem-solving (e.g., solving problems through smashing objects).
Free Fire : Developed by Garena (Singapore).This isSimilar to PUBG, promotes violence and aggressive competition.Addictive nature affects mental well-being and social interactions.Includes in-app purchases that encourage overspending.
Zombie Tsunami : Developed by Mobigame (France).Promotes dark, destructive themes like turning humans into zombies.Simplistic and repetitive gameplay can lead to addiction.Lacks educational or developmental value.
Pokémon GO: Developed by Niantic (USA).Augmented reality gameplay can cause safety risks, such as accidents while children focus on their screens instead of their surroundings.Promotes a “catch-them-all” mentality that fosters obsession and compulsive behaviors.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories: Developed by Rockstar Games (USA), this glorifies crime, violence, and inappropriate adult themes.Completely unsuitable for children but easily accessible through mobile platforms.
Zombie Tsunami, Developed by Mobigame (France).Promotes dark, destructive themes like turning humans into zombies.Simplistic and repetitive gameplay can lead to addiction.Lacks educational or developmental value.
There are many more like Clash Mini, Modern Combat Series, Dragon Ball Legends, Asphalt 9: Legends,Brawl Stars, Subway Surfers, etc.
This problem which is now being faced as a parenting challenge worldwide has been induced by the Global Market Forces. The Global Market Forces refer to those powers which are instrumental in tactics that create compelling behavior among the potential buyers in the market to make the purchase decision that favors these powers or forces. These forces are large companies operating across multiple countries, often dominating industries like technology, consumer goods, entertainment, and finances. MNCs dominate global markets by producing and distributing goods and services worldwide. The emerging influence of the market forces is of high concern as these are shaping consumer behavior through different tools of marketing, especially branding and innovation. The examples of Global forces are Google, Apple, Microsoft, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Walmart, etc. The immediate adverse impact of the brand culture developed by these Global Forces is the creation and development of standardized global products and lifestyles, driving blind consumerism that is at the expense of local cultures and industries. The various MNCs have spread their tentacles across varied areas like Financial institutions and investors, International Bodies of Trade like WTO, NAFTA, etc.
This article is focused on the concerns emerging from the Gaming apps which are a direct product of the Global Market Force operating under Technological tycoons.The Game Development and Publishing companies include those companies that create and distribute the games themselves, often combining the software and hardware expertise. These include: China based Tencent which is world’s largest gaming company investing in Studios like Riot Games (League of Legends) and Epic Games (Fortnite). USA based Activision Blizzard which produces games like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and OverWatch. USA based Electronic Arts that is known for Franchises like FIFA, Madden NFL and Battlefield. France based Ubisoft that develops popular games like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Just Dance. USA base Epic games like Fortnite.
The manufacturing of gaming hardware, software and accessories is a collaborative effort among technology giants, chip manufacturers, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and game developer companies like Sony (Japan), Microsoft (USA), NVIDIA (USA), Tencent (China) and Foxconn (Taiwan) are pivotal in creating the gaming ecosystem that powers the global gaming industry.
Saving children from the onslaught of detrimental mobile games requires a multifaceted approach involving parents, educators and policymakers.
There is an urgent need ofParental Monitoring and Guidance that should Set Screen Time Limits. It is much needed that there must be Supervised Access or regularly monitor the games children play and ensure they are age-appropriate and align with family values. Besides parental controls, there is much need to encourage Open Communication between the parent and the children. There is need of talk with children about the potential harmful effects of certain games and why moderation is essential. Parents should Co-Play with Children, engaging with children in playing games occasionally to understand their interests and ensure the content is safe. Not only this, Parents should model responsible digital behavior to influence children positively.
Next, there is need from the indigenous technological companies to Promote Educational and Culturally Rich Games that should focus on introducing the Indian-Themed Games like Encouraging games based on Indian mythology, history, and culture, such as Raji: An Ancient Epic or Baahubali: The Game., There is an immense need to develop Educational Games that provide access to games that develop critical thinking, creativity, or STEM skills, like Khan Academy Kids or Lightbot.
We need to work collectively to save our children and youth to protect India’s demographic dividend, otherwise it shall be too late for the guardians. This is also important to realize that the generations that are disconnectedfrom Indian values due to the escalated screen times shall remain with nothing to pass on to the generations next to them. Once uprooted from their culture, wokeism shall get the desired space to disrupt the cultural ethos of Indian society. This disruption in societyis creating a favorable position in the young minds to make them dance to their tunes is the agenda of the Global Market Forces which are also partof the operating deep states, working against the development of India. This is highly important to realize the immediate needs which India needs to address in an organized way. Forinstance, there is an emergent need for Digital Detox that can achieved throughAlternative Activities like encouraging children to engage in physical sports, games, and community activities to reduce dependency on mobile devices and Rekindling Interest in Traditional Games.Additionally, there must come encouragement for hobbiesthat should motivate children to pursue creative hobbies such as painting, music, or reading, providing alternatives to gaming.
There is need for educational interventions likeDigital Literacy Education wherein educationist need to teach children about the risks of gaming addiction, in-app purchases, and exposure to inappropriate content as part of school curriculums. There must be Storytelling Sessions that should be based on stories from Indian epics, and folklore to spark interest in cultural heritage and provide engaging, value-based entertainment.
There is also need of Government and Policy Interventions, like Promote Local Game Development by providing subsidies or grants to developers for creating culturally relevant, non-violent, and educational games.Anationwide campaigns is needed to highlight the negative effects of gaming addiction and screen time.
(The author is Assistant Professor, Central University of Jammu)
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