The Question of the Day is a way to facilitate community discussion to help members ponder the unanswered questions of the world that are somehow relating to the hobby. Questionsj are many times open ended and up to interpretation. Feel free to post your thoughts in as much or as little detail as you’d like.
Helpful Considerations may or may not help some people focus their answer, these are blurred to not bother those who have their own ideas.
Today’s Question: QotD: Is it correct to expose children to the gambling nature of TCGs with encouragement or is there a point where its inappropriate?(This was a suggested question)
Helpful Considerations: Social media pushes hype. Parents want their kids into what they like. Massive sets with low pull rates. Monetization through chase cards. Waiting until they can understand and handle the pressures? Teaching them tools to use to not get lost in it? Are there better ways? What part is normal for a kid and what part is beyond that?
This is something that’s been on my mind recently with the large rising of gambling in the US with mobile gambling apps.
Studies show that children that participate in gambling have a significantly higher risk of developing a gambling addiction in adult hood. As of now there are all kinds of forms of online gambling children can be exposed to with loot crates becoming plentiful in games and pokemon would be another pseudo form of this gambling. Not to mention many popular content creators with a large underage fanbase promoting gambling on stream such as xQC.
I would really like to see studies for these various alternative forms of childhood gambling to see if there is a correlation with gambling addiction rates later in life.
Opening packs of cards because you like Pokémon and being excited for every one you get, and even more excited if you get something good, is normal and if the result of saved pocket money, good for learning delayed gratification. Plenty of things in life are down to chance and it is a good teaching moment to raise kids that can handle disappointment if they don’t get anything good.
Whatever else is happening at the moment, and the way ripping and flipping and dipping is pushed and promoted, does not seem too healthy to me.
That was never the question, the question is how much can we get away with.
Which is why the lowly booster pack had to evolve from a little county fair rng nugget with a 33% chance of giving you something that you’re 50% likely to enjoy into a high jump kick-inducing scratch card.
In my opinion it can do damage. Gambling has become omnipresent nowadays and definitely has a negative impact on both society and people. Extremely underestimated right now, but it’s clear as day that the amount of young adults engaging in sport betting, lotteries, risky investments, whatnot shenanigans, is already frightening.
There’s indeed a solid chance that kids could be hooked into it, in a very subtle way through pack openings, watching content creators, buying mystery boxes and so on, especially when already bombarded with gamification and loot boxes in games.
The main differences today that definitely increase the risk for kids are these imho:
-the sheer amount of packs opened, it’s now common to buy a box or multiple boxes/ETBs to break. Back in the days I was getting a booster pack every now and then, maybe some theme decks.
-the abysmal pull rate, bulk goes immediately into the garbage bin. But you can win big, and even kids know that
-kids are often very well informed about prices and value of the cards, and already start thinking in a win/loss manner. While we were probably satisfied completing a binder and pulling some Pokemon we liked. In my school, surely trading didn’t involve any price chart or exact value, just coolness and preferences.
-social media of course, and comparison with others. The lack of satisfaction generates frustration, which encourages acting impulsively.
-the involvement of parents which use kids to justify their gambling, or cheer for them when they pull expensive cards, and frankly fueling a kid hobby with adult money
I agree with @johto, the idea of chance, delayed gratification, disappointment, and excitement when you get something rare are all things kids should learn about. I actually think it’s healthy to learn these things with something like Pokemon cards rather than actual gambling. With the way the world is now, kids will be exposed to gambling advertisements almost constantly and ignoring that would be shortsighted.
Of course, everything has to be in moderation and also in the correct way. Emphasizing the monetary gain aspect of pulling big cards is not the way to go. If your kid wants a big card, talk to them about the cost of buying it outright.
Pack ripping in moderation seems like a great way to bond with your children. IMO, the most important thing is instilling a love for Pokémon itself before introducing the trading card aspect of the franchise. Watching the show, playing games with them, etc., is another bonding opportunity.
If they have a favorite Pokémon, they’ll be happy to pull its card, regardless of the value/rarity.
Call me crazy - I’m twenty-something and children aren’t on my radar for at least the next five years. However, whenever I choose to have children, I’m going to be super strict with technology. YouTube, TikTok, and other social media algorithms are an addiction, and I don’t want them exposed to PokeRev, which is a yet another form of gambling that young children are subjected to (if he’s still making videos by then)…
I would call you reasonable. Same boat as you, early twenties, I’m guessing your childhood wasn’t tech heavy but its presence grew alongside you. Social media and algorithms are still extremely new in the grand scheme of things and yet already very well researched to have lasting negative effects on people. If the pendulum swings for the next generation of parents, then things very well may be “better off” in my opinion.
Like others have commented. Packs themselves are not equivalent to gambling to a childs mind. But start associating them with money, assigning pulls as “good or bad”, and constant comparison with people that have great amounts of disposable income online, and things are going to spiral without boundaries and perspective.
It’s easy to agree with some of the previous posts, really the problem isn’t pokemon boosters but everything else around them and in the world as a whole. Pokemon boosters itself are imo a very kind product in a world where everyone is trying to grab some easy money and kids are an easy target for that
Many good points made here. If/when I have kids I’d be keen to open packs with them and I don’t see this as damaging itself. But the way in which opening packs is approached is important. Taking a moment to appreciate each card, enjoying the process, just enjoying Pokemon for what it is meant to be.
I would attempt to protect or limit their exposure to larger scale ripping or business content on YouTube etc where commons are rapidly tossed aside to go into a bulk bin and even regular holos and ex’s/V’s are treated as a failure. Monetary values for each card shown up on the screen etc this sort of thing I find pretty sickening in the context of impressionable kids watching it
this sort of thing I find pretty sickening in the context of impressionable kids watching it