If it’s f2p I’m assuming there’s going to be microtransactions to generate the income. Cosmetic microtransactions are conspicuous consumption and the ‘value’ comes from others seeing the items. Like skins on Fortnite, kids love showing them off to each other and that’s what generates the frenzy that means they buy them. Add in a few other dark patterns (limited time sales, dodgy conversion into fake money, loot boxes, etc) and you’ve got a game that uses kids to extract massive amounts of money from their parents for nothing.

Unfortunately, this feels like the dominant model for a lot of big studio games now. I’m sure the next bit disappointment will be GTA. Although, interestingly FIFA / EA FC sounds like they’re starting to realise that this might not be enough and are putting more effort into offline gameplay.

I agree that it should primarily be a parents responsibility to keep kids off social media. But the big problem with social media is that a large proportion of young children don’t want to be on social media and recognise the detrimental impact it has on them, but the fear of missing out or being excluded is what keeps them on it. it then becomes a collective action problem, to get them off it you need to get a lot of their peers off it as well. There are movements where groups of parents try to do this, but reaching the critical mass necessary to do it is difficult.

Hopefully the ban keeps a large number off to reduce the pressure on kids to be on it and at the same time the parents can do their bit as well.