The Role of Game Elements in Shaping Three Dimensions of Techno-Distress and Techno-Eustress in Online Multiplayer Games

Abstract

Playing digital games is an immensely popular leisure activity, offering players numerous benefits. Despite this, research, practitioner reports, and mainstream media discussions have highlighted various issues associated with gaming. In the information systems (IS) discipline, research on the phenomenon of technostress, referring to stress caused by information technology (IT) use, has been instrumental in understanding the negative consequences of IT use. Nevertheless, while technostress has received attention in various IT use contexts, digital games have received minimal scrutiny. To address this gap, we studied technostress in the context of playing online multiplayer games. By employing qualitative data collection and analysis methods, we investigated gamers’ experiences of technostress and the game elements underlying them via 19 semi-structured interviews. We highlight how technostress can manifest both negative and positive aspects and explain how the same game elements and gaming situations can lead to both types of outcomes. Through our three-dimensional view of technostress, we emphasize the direct role of gameplay, in addition to the indirect roles of social interactions and self-perception, in shaping technostress when playing online multiplayer games. By delineating specific associations between game elements and technostressors, we provide practical insights for game developers and organizations implementing gamification in various activities.