From the outside in: consumer anti-choice and policy implications in the mobile gaming market

Ronan de Kervenoael*, Mark Palmer, Alan Hallsworth

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Significant growth in mobile media consumption has prompted a call to better understand the socio-cultural and policy dimensions of consumer choices. Contrary to industry and technology led analysis, this study argues that to guide consumer choice and innovation via regulatory policies requires an understanding of both ex-ante as well as in ex-post consumption conditions. This study examines mobile phone gaming to uncover how consumer anti-choice shapes decision-making as a framework for closely interrogating the ways in which policy concerns impact on consumers' behavior. Through eleven focus groups (n=62), the study empirically identifies voluntary, intentional, and positive consumer anti-choice behaviors all of which impact policy initiatives when consumers, both gamers and non-gamers, self-regulate their behaviors. Findings point to four types of policy implication: regulating the self-regulated, understanding anti-choice, boundary-setting and including the self-excluded.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)439-449
Number of pages11
JournalTelecommunications Policy
Volume37
Issue number6-7
Early online date7 May 2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2013

Keywords

  • anti-choice
  • mobile phone gaming
  • self regulation
  • telecommunication policy

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