PlayStation mentality

PlayStation mentality refers to the disassociation between combatants and the consequences of their actions, as a result of the use of weapon interfaces which resemble video games. Reports in 2026 indicated, for example, that Ukrainian drone operators used Grand Theft Auto V to help simulate navigation and targeting in urban environments.

The effect is named after the PlayStation games console, and is commonly cited in discussions of the problems of drone warfare, such as that conducted by the United States Central Intelligence Agency in the Pakistan tribal areas, typically using predator drones.

See also

• Depersonalization

References

• Jepson, Kris (23 Dec 2010). "CIA drone strikes: a legal war?". Channel 4 News. ITN. Retrieved 2 October 2023. One of the concerns raised by Christof Heyns' predecessor Philip Alston in a UN report on drone strikes earlier this year, was that those who operate the missile strikes thousands of miles from their target, may acquire a "Playstation" mentality.
• Chris Cole; Amy Hailwood; Mary Dobbing (2010). Convenient Killing: Armed Drones and the 'playstation' Mentality. Fellowship of Reconciliation. ISBN 9780900368431.
• Dumas, Graham (28 November 2010). "Further Developing the 'Playstation Mentality'". New York University Journal of International Law and Politics. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
• Rajiv Kumar Saini; Amit Chail; M. S. V. K. Raju (22 October 2021). "Cry in the sky: Psychological impact on drone operators". Industrial Psychiatry Journal. 30 (Suppl 1). India: S15–S19. doi:10.4103/0972-6748.328782. PMC 8611566. PMID 34908658. One of the narratives strongly rooted in popular and academic perception is that their actions match playing a video game. The very act of striking a target or distant killing creates a "PlayStation mentality" with joystick as a trigger.