Gamification Software to educate against Cyber Addiction and Digital Threats

Abstract

This project addresses the growing need to educate teenagers on digital security practices and emotional well-being through an interactive video game inspired by “My Talking Tom.” The game features a cat character who faces daily situations involving phishing, spoofing, and cyber addiction, where players must guide it to make responsible decisions that affect its self-esteem bar. The project followed an agile development approach, including stages of requirements analysis, design, implementation, and testing. The results of the usability evaluation, conducted with 20 teenagers, showed a 91% task success rate and an average satisfaction score of 4.3 out of 5. Participants demonstrated improved understanding of digital risks and reflected positively on how their decisions influenced online safety. The conclusions indicate that the objectives were successfully achieved, as the video game effectively combined entertainment and education, promoting awareness and responsible digital behavior among teenagers. Identified limitations include the variety of scenarios and dependence on access to technological resources. Overall, the game represents an innovative and valuable educational tool for strengthening digital literacy and emotional self-management in youth.