The wonders and worries of Wordle

This creation of a virtual community may sound like a positive thing, and for many it may well be, however psychologists have also questioned the motives behind why some people may choose to 'share' their results from online games such as Wordle.

A range of psychological research has for instance suggested that for some, the quest for validation and social acceptance may be amongst the key driversbehind why people may go on to share their results on social media.

Specific to Wordle, such validation seems to be related to promoting one's intelligence, and can subsequently drive unhealthy social comparisons with other players. A behaviour shown to link with poorer social and wellbeing outcomes.

Despite these darker truths, in its purest sense the game of Wordle is indeed a stimulating and rewarding experience. For how long it will continue to grace the phone screens of millions of people every day remains to be seen.

One thing we can be sure of however, is the continuing plight of online games whose success is catapulted by social media platforms, prompting millions of people to be hooked in amidst this digital age where the allure of online 'sharing' has never been stronger.