Technostress in Digital Games : Case Genshin Impact

Abstract

As ubiquitous and pervasive information technologies (ITs) have become prominent, technostress (i.e., stress caused by IT use) has become an issue in different contexts. This is the case even in IT use that reflects things like fun and relaxation. One of the most common types of such IT use is playing digital games, which can also bring forth negative emotions in players. However, research on technostress emergence and mitigation in playing digital games is scarce. To address this gap, we conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews focusing on one game, Genshin Impact. The game was chosen due to its global popularity and the suitability of its genre for exploring technostress. We contribute to research by explaining how different game features (gacha, time limits, controls, account, content updates) and activities (grinding/farming, daily missions, combat, cooperative gameplay) contribute to technostress emergence in digital games. We also discuss different strategies, such as multitasking, that can be used to mitigate stressful gaming experiences. Our results provide insights for information systems and game researchers, as well as for players and game developers.