Digital Media Types and Nature-Deficit Disorder: Exploring the impact of video games on human-nature connection and conservation support

在一个日益城市化的世界里，人类与自然的直接接触正在减少。人们可能会患上“自然缺失症”——一种以脱离自然为特征的疾病，与低环保意识和低环保意识有关。考虑到目前大规模人为灭绝的威胁，重新连接人类与自然的新方法至关重要。其中一种方法是通过电子游戏：它们可以将生物多样性面临的威胁带入主流，并为学习物种保护提供身临其境的环境。然而，对它们影响人与自然联系和亲环境行为的价值的洞察主要是推测性的。由于电子游戏在全球拥有超过30亿玩家，因此有一个全新的项目可以彻底研究电子游戏作为交流保护主题策略的影响。了解如何成功地使用这些工具可以为保护部门带来实质性的好处。对于我的研究，我的目标是做以下事情：-回顾使用电子游戏作为推动公众参与保护行为的工具的潜在影响-实证调查不同类型的电子游戏如何影响玩家体验，从而影响与“自然缺陷障碍”相关的症状-批判性地分析和衡量这些工具的设计和开发如何影响玩家和环境。我计划采用相关文献中尚未使用的定量和定性方法的结合。随机对照试验可以显示，当玩家体验带有保护信息的游戏时，环境行为和自然缺失障碍的测量是否得到改善。采访可以探讨玩家是否可以将他们的虚拟体验应用到现实世界中，以及在游戏中使用不可替代代币（nft）来支持保护工作的新兴和有争议的使用。最后，人种学研究可以让我们深入研究如何设计以保护为重点的游戏；后续影响评估将评估他们是否成功地吸引了具有环境意识、关心和行动的玩家，以满足开发商的保护目标。这项研究符合EPSRC的职责范围，因为它将帮助环保主义者在设计这些数字通信策略时最大化他们的生产力潜力。这项工作也符合“数字双胞胎”的研究主题：利用自然环境的虚拟复制品来激发行为改变以保护生物多样性，并将提供更广泛的经济和社会效益（通过确保关键生态系统服务的持续）。目前，我正在与环保非政府组织On The Edge合作，设计以保护为重点的游戏。我希望在接下来的研究中与其他专家和机构就这一问题进行合作。

In an increasingly urbanised world, direct human contact with nature is declining. People may then suffer 'Nature-Deficit Disorder' - a condition characterised by a detachment from nature, and linked to low environmental care and awareness. Given the current threat of mass anthropogenic extinction, new ways to reconnect humans with nature is vital. One approach to this is through video games: they can bring threats facing biodiversity into the mainstream, and provide immersive environments for learning about species protection. However, insight into their value for influencing the human-nature connection and pro-environmental behaviour is mostly speculative. Since video games reach more than 3 billion players globally, there is scope for a novel project to thoroughly examine the impact of video games as strategies to communicate conservation topics. Understanding how to use these tools successfully could provide substantial benefit to the conservation sector. For my research, I aim to do the following:- Review the potential impacts of using video games as tools for driving public engagement with conservation behaviours- Empirically investigate how different types of video game may influence player experiences, and thus symptoms associated with 'Nature-Deficit Disorder'- Critically analyse and measure how the design and development of these tools may affect players and the environment To address many knowledge gaps in this area of study, I plan to employ a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies not yet used in the relevant literature. Randomised control trial experiments can show whether environmental behaviours and measures of Nature-Deficit Disorder are improved when players experience games with conservation-focused messages. Interviews could explore whether players can apply their virtual experiences to the real world, as well as the emerging and controversial use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in games to support conservation work. Finally, ethnographic research will allow thorough examination of how conservation-focused games are designed; follow-up impact evaluations would assess whether they successfully engage players with environmental awareness, care, and action to satisfy developers' conservation goals. This research aligns with the EPSRC remit because it will help conservationists maximise their productivity potential when designing these digital communication strategies. The work also meets the 'Digital Twins' research theme: inspiring behavioural change to preserve biodiversity is done using virtual replicas of the natural environment, and will deliver wider economic and societal benefits (by ensuring the continuation of critical ecosystem services). I am currently collaborating with environmental non-governmental organisation On The Edge to conduct my ethnographic work on the design of conservation-focused games. I hope to partner with other experts and institutions on this matter for the remainder of my research.