According to FOX 61 in Tennessee, councilman Dimitar Kerin was voted out of his position for playing Farmville during meetings. He argued other members on the council played Farmville as well, so much so he had to play during meetings to match them. In the UK, a 12 year-old boy racked up £905 in FarmVille debt. During the period between Jun 19th and July 9th, an average of 63.3 million users played Farmville, making Farmville the most played online game in the world. What makes Farmville so addictive? How can a simple flash based game cause someone to loose their jobs, or spend hundreds of dollars?
What is Farmville?
Farmville is a game on Facebook, an online social media site consisting of millions of users worldwide. Developed by Zynga, players create personal farms where they can plant crops, keep animals, and buy objects such as buildings and decorations. Everything within the world of Farmville requires in game money, obtained from harvesting crops or selling animals or buildings. When a player plans a crop, he first must till the soil, costing money. Next, the player plans seeds that are purchased from the in game market. These seeds take time to grow, depending on what is being planted. Once a specific amount of real world time elapses, the crops become ready for harvest, where the player must harvest the crop within a specific time period of the crop withers, becoming worthless.
The player will often plant rows and rows of crops, requiring 10-20 minutes to till and plant crops. It takes time as well to harvest the crops. It is not uncommon for people to spend hours during a day checking, planting, and harvesting crops. As crops mature in real time, a player must remember to harvest the crops or face loosing a good amount of in game money. In total, Farmville becomes a type of second job, where people spend hours a day on a virtual farm that does not exist.
What is worse, is players can spend real world money for special addictions to the game. A player can purchase Farmville Cash, which can cost up to $50.00 for a single transaction. While players do not need Farmville Cash to play the game, special decorations or buildings exist requiring Farmville Cash only. This results in players spending real world money for objects that do not exist, and have no real world value. The more someone becomes addictive to Farmville, the higher chance they will spend more money. In the end, Farmville can cost excessive amounts of time and money.
The Psychology of Farmville
It can be confusing to someone to understand how Farmville can become addictive. As the farm does not exist, why invest time and money into it? For those who are addicted, the farm does exist, within their minds. The farm becomes important, so much to some that it becomes a priority. The idea of having a crop wither and die causes anxiety. As each crop takes time and money to mature, it becomes an investment. Having an investment ‘die’ can be a stressor. An easy solution is to spend the time required to make sure the investment survives.
As one collects more in game currency, they can purchase more expensive Farmville items. These items are placed on the farm for their friends to see. In addiction, players each experience points each time they till soil, or collect a successful harvest. Levels are gained, unlocking new and better items. Others can see your experience level, creating a sense of competition. To gain levels faster, one must spend more time in Farmville. This may explain why the counsel-man felt the need to play Farmville during meetings.
Cuteness Factor
Farmville, to put it simply, is cute. The cartoon based graphics are bright and colorful, leading to feelings of serenity. Many of the females I have encountered like Farmville due to how cute and colorful it is. They like to fill their farms with items, especially animals. The cuter the animal, the more they want the animal. While this is not scientific, I feel the cute factor is a major appeal for many gamers.
It is wholesome, family friendly, and an activity others can preform together? How is this you ask? As a player in Farmville, you have access to your Facebook friends. You can invite your friends to be neighbors, allowing them to easily enter your farm. Your neighbors can fertilize for farm, giving you more money. Friends can get together and help each other make more experience and money. By looking at each other’s farm, players can see all the objects and animals present. By seeing more ‘cute’ objects, the player wishes to play more to obtain the item.
Psychological Rewards
When a reward is given at the conclusion of an action, the action has a greater chance of being repeated. This is simple human nature. When one goes to work, they get a paycheck, a reward. Thus, they will be more likely to go back to work in order to earn the reward, the paycheck. When a player in Farmville makes a tiny farm into a large plantation, there is a sense of accomplishment. The player will be able to see all the items they have purchased. They will feel that their time has not been waisted. This is a key. For someone to quit, they will need to see how much time they have lost in the real world, and to understand that the farm and all the items within are imaginary.
Quitting Farmville
Being addicted to Farmville is like any other addiction. The first step is to understand why you are addicted. What does Farmville add to your life you are missing? What do you gain from it that you cannot gain in the real world? If these questions are not answered, then the addiction to Farmville can turn into another addiction. Next, the addict must decide what is important, the real world or Farmville. This is a personal choice, and cannot be made by another person. If the addict does not choose to end the addiction for themselves, they will most likely relapse. Next, access to Farmville must be limited. In addiction, the time spent in Farmville needs to be replaced with an healthy alternative. Spending time with family and friends is a useful substitute. Finally, the addict must monitor their behaviors and activities in order to prevent future relapses. Farmville addiction can be conqured, just as any addiction it takes time and work. As someone who has suffered from an Online Game Addiction, I understand the lies you say to yourself while addicted. If you feel you need help with a Farmville addiction, or any type of Online Addiction, click Here to contact me.
About the author: Psychcomp is owned and maintained by Nathan Driskell, a Licensed Professional Counselor - Intern specializing in Internet Addiction and Asperger's Disorder. Nathan is also a Web Designer and Network Administrator.
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