2024-08-22 @ 15:00 - 16:00
Martin French is an Associate Professor with the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at Concordia University. Martin’s research examines the social dimensions of technology with an empirical focus on communications & information technology (CIT). It emphasizes the broader social and political contexts of CIT, focusing especially on risk, surveillance, privacy, and social justice. Recently, Martin has been studying the ‘gamblification’ of digital media. This involves an investigation of the incorporation of gambling-like retention mechanics into digital experiences. Think of how free-to-play games resemble slot machine play, or how the infinite scroll experience on different social media platforms is designed to increase users’ time-on-device. The gamblification of digital media raises a host of ethical and regulatory questions; and the gamblification of digital games poses challenges for game makers, players and researchers alike.