In China, "gambling" is an act that is not very well put on the table. Even mahjong, an entertainment that has long been popular on the streets, is often morally criticized. Mahjong in public discourse, often associated with "playthings that lose their minds" and "do not do the right thing", plays a role that people both love and hate in the public space of urban streets. However, under the influence of this cultural context, we may also miss some good opportunities to gain insight into modern culture.
In 2021, the work "Addiction by Design" by American anthropologist Natasha Dow Shure (hereinafter referred to as Shure) was introduced into China, and the Chinese translation was set as "Luck's Bait: Gambling Design and Runaway Life in Las Vegas". Published in 2012 as an English translation of the book, it has received good reviews on major book review sites at home and abroad, focusing on the "gambling" that is rarely formally discussed in Chinese culture.
Stills from the movie "Rain Man".
Shure lived in the famous casino city of Las Vegas from 1992 to 2007, and through more than a decade of meticulous ethnographic research, he tried to explain how human interaction with gambling machines created a "lost" technology addiction experience. In the evaluation of anthropological works, a good ethnography is often not only of unique value on a case-by-case basis, but also in connection with an important issue of the times. "Gambling", which seems to have nothing to do with most people's lives, is actually such a key connection point.
As the title of the English edition of Shure's work makes clear, The Bait of Luck is not intended to be devoted to the study of machine-influenced gambling addiction, but rather to explore the culture of addiction that prevails in a modern society steeped in technology. If we look at some of the recent articles about how social media, mobile phones, and video games can be addictive, we will find that the metaphors of "slot machines" and "gambling machines" can be seen everywhere.
It is worth mentioning that the philosopher Sandel, in his book "The Arrogance of the Elite", which has aroused widespread discussion in both China and the United States, also uses the term "slot machine" in the chapter criticizing "egalitarian luck", to describe the elite of modern society "programming" a culture that tells the weak that they are "willing to gamble and lose". From this perspective, the real value of "gambling" that "Luck's Bait" focuses on is that it provides an important metaphor for modern social culture.
In the article "Living in the Age of "Addiction", We Are All Prey", we have comprehensively analyzed the formation and flow of "addiction" psychology from a historical perspective. In this article, we will share a discussion worth thinking about around Natasha Doe Shure's "Luck Bait" from the perspective of "technology addiction".
The Bait of Luck, by Natasha Dow Shul, translated by Richie, Democracy and Construction Press, December 2021.
Written by | Liu Yaguang
The "gambling machine" of modern society:
"Disenchantment" and "re-glamorization" coexist on the machine
In surveillance video of a Casino in Las Vegas, a gambler rubbed his temples at a table, leaned back, and then suddenly fainted on a nearby guest. However, the guest did not react, and the others around him focused on the chips in front of them and the cards on the table. He then slid to the floor, started a seizure, and his body shook violently, but fortunately, the medical staff at the casino arrived in time to escape the disaster.
On a professional gambling abstinence website, a series of consecutive solitaire posts read: "In the past I used to sit in front of the video poker machine all day long... Like being "glued to", unable to leave the seat in front of the gambling machine, often sitting for a full 10 hours, without accident, almost do not go to the toilet... The body does not listen to the call at all, "it will only go if the money is used up", and when it leaves, it is disgusting to death...
Stills from the movie "Leaving Las Vegas".
These are two impressive examples that Shure has documented in his fieldwork. She believes that modern gambling machines have plunged people involved in gambling into a kind of "machine puzzle", where gamblers suspend their perception of time, social relations, and money, and are completely immersed in gambling activities. Previous research on gambling has focused too much on the psychoanalysis of gamblers and less on the machines that interact with them. It is precisely the interaction between humans and machines that has created this escalating "puzzle".
Here, Shure points out an interesting phenomenon that exists in various types of "machines" in modern society: the coexistence of "disenchantment" and "re-glamorization": for the designer of the machine, the gambling machine is a "disenchantment" tool, which can calculate the gambler's chips in a precise and "scientific" way relative to the traditional gambling table, and better manipulate the probability of gambling. But for gamblers, the machine has become a complete "re-enchantment" thing, and the probability of winning in it seems so uncertain. In a discussion of the gambling machine's "virtual wheel mapping technology", Shure pointed out that this technology will create a "near-loss effect", through which game designers can map the virtual wheel stop position beyond the normal proportion to the slot on the slot machine's physical wheel next to the winning pattern, which can lead to the result of each rotation, the winning pattern will appear near the winning pattern at a high frequency, thus creating a sense of loss for the player " I almost succeeded" in the result of each rotation.
However, the design of the gambling machine still tries to give the player a "sense of control" in form, for example, the mechanical wheel mechanism is still retained on the digital gambling machine, allowing the player to "experience" the process of turning and obtain physical feedback - although in essence, this is only a disguise of digital technology to mechanical technology - this intriguing process allows the player to feel a certain degree of control in the loss of probability, It fits the scholars' judgment of neoliberal modern culture: the control of technology over people has shifted from passive discipline to guiding people to self-discipline. This combination of "disenchantment" and "re-glamorization" on machines can be perfectly summed up by the sociologist Ulrich Baker's phrase "intentionally created incalculability."
The complexity of this kind of machine naturally reminds us of the "kryptonite game" that has already blossomed throughout life — game scholars also refer to it as a "gambling game", and its important game parts include spending money on probabilistic draws to improve character competitiveness. In this type of game, we will find that game vendors often elaborately design the lottery, such as letting the player turn a certain turntable by themselves, or simulating the process of drawing cards to create this "uncontrollable sense of control". In 2018, according to game media PG Gamer, the swedish, Belgian and other governments have restricted the kryptonite opening setting in the game, and the Swedish Minister of Public Administration said that he would consider including such games in the supervision of gambling behavior.
Video games give players a sense of excitement through the uncertainty of "unboxed" random items.
"Infinite Scrolling" social media,
How to become a "gambling machine in your pocket"?
In the process of creating a gambling "puzzle", the dim lighting of the casino, the design of enclosed and private spaces, and the use of ergonomics by seats have certainly played a role, but Shure believes that the interaction between humans and machines is still the key to it. In Shure's words in the book, what the gambling machine is essentially about making a "bumpy" process "smooth" and guaranteeing that players are trapped in an experience close to a state of "flow", so that any form of "interruption" becomes unnecessary.
As early as 1999, the casino introduced a "Ticket-in/Ticket out" technology, which allows gamblers to achieve the whole process of gambling without changing, thereby reducing the "free time" of the machine in the process of changing change, which is greatly helpful for creating a sense of immersion for players. In 2000, some casinos eliminated some of the "secondary bonus levels" that appeared between two games in the gambling machine, directly allowing the game to proceed seamlessly. The designers of the gambling machine also considered directly canceling the card dealing action in video poker, allowing the cards to pop directly out, so that the player's energy would not be distracted in any way. In addition, according to Shure's field notes, many gamblers said that their most immersive moment is the moment when "there is synergy between their own will and the response of the machine", which has become one of the cores of the gambling machine design: so that the special effects of the machine screen can feedback the player's actions in an increasingly timely manner.
"Ticket in and out" technology in casinos.
Although Shure's fieldwork was conducted more than a decade ago, the preference for "smoothness" in machine design that she pointed out was re-discussed by the philosopher Han Bingzhe in Transparent Society. Han Bingzhe summed up this "transparent", "smooth", "uniform" design, and the desire for consciousness to cross the barriers of others and reach the destination, which runs through the digital age in which we live. At present, the most able to make people feel this "smooth" feeling is undoubtedly "brushing mobile phones". The word "brush" for brushing mobile phones is closely related to a highly symbolic design of the digital age , "Infinite scroll".
Transparent Society, by Han Bingzhe and translated by Wu Qiong, CITIC Publishing Group, October 2019.
"Infinite scrolling" – a design that draws on a steady stream of information by sliding the screen – was inspired by the famous American designer Aza Laskin, who drew inspiration from google maps' scrolling mode, hoping to reduce the inefficiencies of users' "click" behavior and help users access information more comprehensively and in a timely manner. This design has been widely used in the major social media we can access at home and abroad, especially in Instagram, Pinterest and other apps. In 2019, Ruskin tweeted that he felt guilty that people were addicted to their phones because of the design of infinite scrolling, saying: "One of the lessons I learned from infinite scrolling is that optimizing ease of use does not mean it is best for users or humans."
A February 2022 column on freedom argues that "infinite scrolling" can cause serious distractions, making people completely forget their original tasks in the process of "brushing", resulting in lost productivity. In addition, the addiction of continuous scrolling leads to compulsive behavior, anxiety and depression, and the constant bombardment of other people's stories and images creates an illusion of "infinite possibilities", further deepening the "sense of urgency", which endangers people's mental health.
"Infinite scrolling" is far from just the whole of social media's addictive mechanisms, but only an important representative. The impact of algorithms and big data cannot be ignored. A 2020 column on the Medium website also pointed out that under the blessing of personality recommendation algorithms, "infinite scrolling" social media is like a "gambling machine in the pocket", according to psychologist Skinner's "reinforcement theory", the "infinite scrolling" under the influence of algorithms can make us constantly look forward to sliding out the content we are interested in in a blank unknown.
As the impact of the pandemic continues, people are spending more and more time online, leading to a more pervasive phenomenon of digital addiction around the world. A March 2022 report in the Sydney Morning Herald pointed out that people's social connections are more shifted online, which also makes people's dependence on the Internet and anxiety about "disconnecting the Internet" increase. A 2022 Wall Street Journal op-ed also raised concerns about the deepening dependence on mobile phones among young students accustomed to online classes.
Why We Are Addicted, by [American] Maia Salavitz, translated by Ding, Republic of | Hainan Publishing House, September 2021.
Art becomes a new possibility for technological "addiction"?
How to break free from the digital technology addiction mechanism represented by "infinite scrolling"? A 2022 article on medium went straight to the point that we should think backwards about the process of "going from bumps to smoothness" and increase the "friction" of "rolling." A 2022 harvard business review article argues that familiarity with the mechanisms of technology that causes addiction also gives us a weapon against it, such as being able to reverse feed algorithms, watching multiple "unrelated" videos in a row to interrupt the smooth movie-going experience, and using various social media timers to control the time of "brushing the phone". Another article on freedom's website suggests that the key to breaking free from tech addiction lies in training "mindfulness," such as meditation to help you focus better. At the same time, some of the system's default settings are turned off to limit the mechanism of "infinite scrolling" – these sound very clichés indeed.
The common denominator of the advice given in these comments is great confidence in the agency of people to get rid of their tech addiction on their own. Compared with this more blind optimism, the proposals proposed by some digital artists may contain more possibilities. In a 2019 article by psychologist Vanessa Bartlett, she used an analysis of Shure's gambling research to talk about how art can help people alleviate technology addiction. She begins by mentioning the "triggers" described by behavioral psychologist Neil Eyar in the popular book Hooked: How to build: The Four Product Logics that Make Users Habits: Attracting users to a constant and subtle "psychological itch" by highlighting unanswered information on the digital product interface — the fear that something important will be lost in their own neglect.
She then introduced two artists ( Jonah Brucker-Cohen and Benjamin Grosser ) in 2015 , Please Don't Like This. The design places a jumping red button labeled "Like" in the center of a web page, next to a seductive headline, and an ever-updating counter showing the number of people who have been unable to withstand the temptation to click the button. In the view of the creators, the technical addiction of the digital age is characterized by its subconscious operation, and the work tries to put this operation process in front of the audience and make people aware of its existence. Two other artists (Stephanie Kneissl and Max Lackner) in 2017,017's Stop the Algorithm employ a more radical strategy for dealing with the "infinite scrolling" mechanism, creating a dynamic sculpture that scrolls continuously in Instagram, constantly touching the "like" button at random, revolutionizing the algorithm's operation and prompting viewers to reflect on "infinite scrolling." design itself and be aware of its hazards.
Artwork Stop the Algorithm.
The media scholar Marshall McLuhan once gave great expectations to the art of the future in the last century, arguing that art can become a precise and advanced consciousness, cope with the impact of the coming new technologies on our perception, and become a means of human liberation in the crisis of modern society (although he does not really mean specific art). Here, the psychologist Bartlett's suggestion seems to echo this expectation to some extent, she believes that because the influence of digital technology has penetrated deep into the subconscious level, it has become more and more important to overcome the shortcomings of digital technology, intuitive aesthetics, art, and design knowledge.
As Shure said in "The Bait of Luck", there is an unfair game between the player and the designer of the gambling machine, and what brings the player into the "machine puzzle" is a set of social systems behind the gambling machine, including technology and capital. In addition to individual-level strategies, systemic restrictions are a more critical path to combating tech addiction.
The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine and other media outlets reported in March 2022 on california's Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act, which was proposed by Jordan Cunningham Buffettwicks of the state legislature to target the growing phenomenon of children's social media addiction. After the bill is passed, it will allow the guardians of children to sue the platform party for forced pushing and advertising of social software algorithms. They also proposed another California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act to limit social media collection of data on California children. In addition to California, Senators such as Amy Klobuchar have also proposed relevant federal legislation.
But Abbey Stemler, a business law and ethics scholar at Indiana University, said in an interview with Time magazine that the bills may not have a substantive effect. "The limits of this law are too vague to lead to concrete actions," Sturmler argues, adding that the key to tackling technology addiction lies in limiting the ability of large companies to access and exploit data.
On the mainland, similar restrictions are intensifying. The Provisions on the Administration of Recommendation of Internet Information Service Algorithms, jointly issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China and four other departments, came into effect on March 1, clarifying that providers of algorithm recommendation services must not use algorithms to block information, over-recommend, or use algorithms to induce minors to become addicted to the Internet.
Stills from Melrose.
technology addiction and addiction,
Is it "born from the same root"?
However, on the issue of technical "addiction", Shure's research has once again sounded a necessary "wake-up call" for us: First, the technology used in the process of quitting "technical addiction" is likely to achieve the desired effect. Shure pointed out that the gambling industry has provided gamblers with the tools to self-record gambling data for the sake of the long-term development of the industry, hoping to limit the growth of gambling addiction, but it has created a group of "actuarial addicts" who carefully record their gambling expenses through this technology and formulate gambling strategies based on detailed loss records. In the field notes, someone reported that "their gambling addiction is getting bigger and bigger."
Shure argues that the emergence of this phenomenon is rooted in the grand context of a certain modern culture, and the emphasis on a "corporate" self is an important element in this culture. People use a range of techniques and scales to accurately assess risks and develop their own action strategies. For machine gambling, it seems to let people escape from daily life, but at the same time, as mentioned earlier, when devoting themselves to machine gambling, people still practice the actuarial logic of daily life. This logic is embodied in both gambling and gambling, and the use of technical means to quit addiction is often counterproductive.
Stills from the movie Casino (1995).
At the end of The Bait of Luck, Shure quotes anthropologist Thomas Malabi: "Gambling provides a semi-limited refraction of the vagaries of everyday life, condensing a life full of variables into a form that seems easier to understand." From the gamblers' obsession with machines, we can observe many of the cultural characteristics of the times in which we live. Shure cites that gamblers choose to suspend "choices" in the "machine puzzle" because, as Anthony Giddens said, modern society is full of choices, and individuals must bear the heavy obligation to shape their own lives through choices; gamblers choose to suspend "social relationships" in the "machine puzzle" because in today's market relations, more and more people engage in an "emotional labor", emotions become the object of processing, management, consumption, people have instinctively hoped to escape from social activities outside the profession. At the same time, there is a desire for more pure, simple interactions, such as with machines.
The most fascinating thing about gambling machines is the "immediacy" of betting and returns, which breaks the continuity of time and makes people pursue the maximum return in a short period of time, which fascinates people, which reflects the deep impact of the acceleration of the rhythm of social operation on people. For technology addiction, in addition to changes in individual habits, technological design, and macro policies, how to focus on a more macroscopic social culture perspective is the proposition that Shure's research gives us to continue to ponder.