Specifics of Russian Youth Consumption of Gamified Content

For citation: Salikhova E.A. (2020) Specifika potreblenija rossijskoj molodezh'ju gejmificirovannogo kontenta [Specifics of Russian Youth Consumption of Gamified Content]. Mediaskop 1. Available at: http://www.mediascope.ru/2615

DOI: 10.30547/mediascope.1.2020.9

© Elena A. Salikhova

Lecturer at the Chair of Media Theory and Economics, Faculty of Journalism, Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia), salikhova.msu@mail.ru

Abstract

One of the most effective ways to compete for the attention of digital youth on the Internet can be gamification of content. For fifteen years, journalists have been experimenting with this innovative format. Media organizations' expectations for gamification are related to the fact that today's children are a generation of gamers who grew up playing games.

This study is the first attempt to specifically study the perception of game content by Russian youth. Two tasks were set: to find out the attitude of young people to the game forms of presenting news information, as well as brand information, as brands are increasingly using game content projects to interact with a new generation of consumers and become significant players on the media field.

The empirical basis of the study was an online survey of 574 respondents aged 18‒21 who are first-year students of three Moscow universities.

Results of the study are the following:

• The ideology and mechanics of gamification correspond to the interests and demands of the digital generation for innovative content.
• The digital generation is generally positive about experiences with game formats that are practiced by media and brands.
• The function of media/brand self-promotion, highlighting in a highly competitive environment through gamification does not work yet in the youth environment. Young people can hardly remember where and what game content they saw.

News games or tests will not completely replace the classic way of news coverage for digital youth. But gamification can become a way for journalism to remain relevant in the eyes of digital youth, a thread that will closely connect the media and the audience, and form loyalty to a media company. With this connection, problems of involving the audience in deep, complex content can be solved.

Keywords: media consumption of Russian youth, gamification of content, news games, tests, brand media.

Notes

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