Developing Intentional Relationships with Technologies: An Exploratory Study of Players' Experiences with Built-in Interventions in Games

Abstract

There has been growing concern about digital well-being, especially given the emerging adverse impact of technology overuse. While prior studies have developed a variety of stand-alone techniques to combat technology overuse, little work has been done to build interventions directly into technologies to regulate usage. In this study, we designed three interventions that remind players to take a break in a casual mobile game. We explored players' experiences with these interventions through a 4-day deployment study and follow-up interviews (N=16). Findings suggest that while some players had a positive experience with the game that had built-in interventions, others experienced unintended outcomes such as disrupted immersion or longer play sessions. We also found that interventions seemed to be more likely to succeed when players experienced a sense of accomplishment or negative emotions. We discuss the implications of the study and provide preliminary suggestions for designing built-in interventions.