Gamification Effect on Brain Activity and User Behavior During Online Hostility Exposure in Social Media

Online hostility, including cyberbullying, hate speech, and trolling, has become a pervasive issue on social media and affecting users’ mental health. Our work explores the potential of gamification to mitigate the negative impacts of online hostility. Specifically, we investigate how gamification influences brain activity and user behavior in response to hostile interactions on social networks. Our proposed method uses EEG technology to develop personalized interventions that promote emotional regulation and reduce aggressive behavior in social media. We designed a theoretical framework that integrates EEG analysis with gamified interventions, enabling real-time monitoring and modification of users’ emotional and cognitive responses to online hostility. This framework provides insights into the neurocognitive effects of online hostility and opens the way for innovative solutions to building healthier social network environments. A preliminary simulation was conducted as a proof-of-concept to model brain responses under conditions of baseline (regular interaction), exposure to online hostility, and gamified interventions. The simulation illustrates how gamification can regulate brain activity, promoting a calmer mental state and mitigating the adverse effects of online hostility. This paper details our theoretical framework, presents the simulation results, and discusses the implications.