Conférence - Jeux mobiles : votre enfant, le produit?

Conférence - Jeux mobiles : votre enfant, le produit?

by Maude Bonenfant

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought AI & Society UBDigital and Information technology: general topicsUBJDigital and information technologies: social and ethical aspects
🎙 Maude Bonenfant 👥 6K 📅 December 3, 2025 ⏱ 79 min 👁 441 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-08-13
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

mobile gameschildrendata collectionmicrotransactionsgamblification

Summary

Maude Bonenfant, professor at UQAM and Canada Research Chair in game, technology and society, delivers a conference on the dangers of mobile games for children. She explains that mobile games, often free, rely on three monetization pillars: data collection, targeted advertising, and microtransactions. These require keeping children connected as long as possible, leading to the use of persuasive design techniques such as daily rewards, notifications, and dark patterns. She highlights the prevalence of gambling-like mechanics (loot boxes, roulette wheels) in games for young children, which can lead to addiction and long-term risks. The talk covers her research on 750 games, 500 ads, and 139 privacy policies, and she proposes solutions for parents and regulators. The conference includes a Q&A session.

120 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The talk provides valuable insights into the manipulative design of mobile games targeting children, supported by the speaker’s extensive research. The argumentation is solid, based on a large corpus and interdisciplinary collaboration. She clearly explains the mechanisms and their psychological impacts, though some claims could benefit from more direct citations to specific studies.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The speaker is a recognized expert, and the research appears rigorous. However, the video does not provide detailed references to specific studies or reports, relying more on her own findings. The title accurately reflects the content, and the talk is well-structured. No comments were provided for analysis.

115 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on how mobile games target children as products through data collection and monetization.

Quality & Reliability

8/10

The speaker is a professor and Canada Research Chair in game studies, with a large research corpus (750 games, 500 ads, 139 privacy policies). The presentation is based on her own research and published work, but it is a conference talk with limited peer-reviewed citations in the video itself.

Chapters

Cited Sources

  • Les jeux vidéo pour enfants, bien les comprendre pour mieux les choisir — Book co-published by Maude Bonenfant in 2025, mentioned as a resource for parents.
  • Report to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada on mobile games — Mentioned as a recent report submitted by the speaker.

Concurring Sources

  • Common Sense Media — Provides reviews and research on media use by children, often highlighting similar concerns.

Contribution & Novelties

The talk offers a comprehensive overview of the manipulative design and monetization strategies in mobile games for children, based on a large-scale research project. It highlights the prevalence of gambling-like mechanics and the lack of regulation in Canada.

Pour aller plus loin :

77 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows high scores in information quantity, quality, and reliability, with a moderate technical level. This indicates a well-supported, informative talk that is accessible to a general audience.

Reliability 8/10