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Tom Brock

Lecturer in Sociology, Manchester Metropolitan University

Tom has written critically about professional gaming and the ‘darker’ side of play in two peer-reviewed journals. The first article: ‘Roger Caillois and eSports: On the Problems of Treating Play as Work’ is to be published in Games and Culture. The articles present a critical account of the impact that electronic sports has on human psychology. It argues that the pressures and demands of professional computer gaming orientate human cognition towards instrumental thinking, which in turn, feeds the exploitative ‘dog-eat-dog’ world of eSports. The article presents a number of case studies to show how treating play like work ‘corrupts’ the values that players attach to games plausibly leading to a) unhealthy behaviour in the form of obsession and/or b) risky, illegal behaviour, in the form of match-fixing. In the case of the latter, it is suggested that cheating can be considered as ‘survival strategy’ within such a highly competitive working environment. The second article: ‘Videogame Consumption: The Apophatic Dimension’ is to be published in the Journal of Consumer Culture. It considers how people derive satisfaction and motivation from the more negative aspects of video gameplay, particularly failure and loss. It argues that overcoming challenges in games is deeply rewarding, and may even help people deal with personal psychological issues, like anxiety or OCD. The article then extends this discussion to consider how typically problematic aspects of online gaming, e.g., ‘trolling’, can be rewarding through the creation of moments of cathartic laughter, which serve an important sociological purpose: to create and maintain social relationships.

The problem of treating play like work – how esports can harm well-being

May 27, 2017 04:13 am UTC| Insights & Views Sports

We are mid-way through the annual esports calendar and South Korean team SK Telecom 1 recently scored a resounding victory at the Mid-Seasonal Invitational. The MSI, as its known, is a tournament where teams compete to win...

Economy

Peru Economy Grows 2.6% in Q2 as Private Investment Surges

Perus economy expanded 2.6% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, slightly exceeding market expectations as strong domestic demand and private investment helped offset weakness in manufacturing and fishing. The...

US Dollar Heads for Worst Week Since July as Fiscal Concerns Mount

The U.S. dollar was on course Friday for its steepest weekly decline since late July as mounting fiscal concerns and unusual Treasury market intervention weighed on investor confidence. The U.S. Dollar Index, which...

Gold Prices Hit Three-Month High as Dollar Weakens

Gold prices surged to a three-month high on Friday and headed for strong weekly gains as a weaker U.S. dollar and mounting concerns over Treasury yields and government debt boosted demand for the precious metal. Spot gold...

Wall Street Ends Higher as Crypto Stocks and Materials Rally

Wall Street closed higher on Friday as gains in materials and cryptocurrency-related stocks helped offset renewed pressure from rising U.S. Treasury yields and elevated oil prices. The SP 500 gained 0.4% to finish at...

US Debt Tops $40 Trillion as Global Borrowing Costs Surge

U.S. government debt has surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, highlighting growing fiscal pressures as major economies face rising spending demands from ageing populations, defence, climate change and higher interest...

Politics

NATO Facilitates Allied Talks on Strait of Hormuz Navigation

NATOs top military commander convened a videoconference this week to help interested allies coordinate potential contributions aimed at protecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while stressing that the...

Russian Drone Strike on Kryvyi Rih Shopping Centre Kills 15

At least 15 people were killed and more than 130 others injured after multiple Russian drones struck a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, central Ukraine, on Friday, according to Ukrainian authorities. Oleksandr Hanzha, the...

Turkey Seeks Interpol Red Notice for Netanyahu Over Gaza Aid Flotilla

Turkey said Friday it will seek an Interpol red notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of a criminal investigation linked to Israels interception of activists attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to...

Prince Harry, Elton John Ordered to Pay £9.54 Million in Daily Mail Legal Costs

Britains Prince Harry, singer Elton John and other prominent figures have been ordered to make a 9.54 million ($12.7 million) interim payment toward the legal costs of Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers after...

EU’s Von der Leyen Condemns Israel’s E1 West Bank Settlement Plan

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday strongly criticized Israels decision to issue construction tenders for the controversial E1 residential development in the occupied West Bank, adding to growing...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Apple Cuts Over 200 Siri, Vision Pro Jobs in AI Shift

Apple is cutting more than 200 jobs across teams responsible for its Siri digital assistant, Vision Pro headset and artificial intelligence features as the technology giant redirects resources toward new devices and AI...

Amazon to Expand Drone Delivery to 500 U.S. Locations

Amazon plans to significantly expand its drone delivery service across the United States, targeting roughly 500 cities and towns by the end of the year as the e-commerce giant accelerates its long-running Prime Air...

TikTok, DOJ Reach $400 Million Children’s Privacy Settlement

TikTok and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached a $400 million settlement to resolve allegations that the popular short-video platform violated federal childrens online privacy protections. The agreement settles a...

Anthropic IPO Could Challenge SpaceX’s Record $86 Billion Offering

Anthropic is reportedly considering an initial public offering that could rival or surpass SpaceXs record-breaking IPO, potentially making the artificial intelligence company responsible for the largest public share sale...

Samsung Shares Rise on $72 Billion Shareholder Return Plan

Samsung Electronics shares climbed on Friday following reports that the South Korean technology giant is preparing a shareholder return package potentially exceeding 100 trillion won ($72 billion). Samsungs board is...