The Addiction of Video Games

Research shows that video games have addictive qualities as brain scans indicate the denial of reward is what makes video games addicting. The human brain values things that are harder to achieve, indicating that difficulty increases the perceived value. People tend to place a high value on things that are more challenging such as becoming a doctor or graduating from prestigious institutions. A study on fraternities revealed that people valued fraternities based on how severe the hazing rituals were, showing that difficulty and challenges can create perceived value even in negative situations.