TED TALK - GAMING CAN MAKE A BETTER WORLD
One interesting conversation is about the effect that certain games have on individuals, as well as the discussion regarding the line between virtuality and reality - how they might have the potential to intertwine affect one another. e.g. a game that creates ability to change the world. Looking into topics relevant to the current world and culture, gives the investigation the potential to find solutions to problems that affect society and could create contributions to positive change.
In a Ted Talk by Jane McGonigal (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE1DuBesGYM) she discusses the idea that 'Gaming can make a better world'. There is a lot of stigma that video games are bad for mental health, and promote violence to children from an early age. However, McGonigal takes an interesting viewpoint that looks at how games have the potential to better individuals and empower people to believe that they can make changes in the real world.
Notes from video:
- Are games essential to the survival of human species?
- Why are people better in games than real life? - We aren't as motivated to work together, collaborate and change things. In games many of us become the best version of ourselves, but in real life we feel overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, frustrated and syndical. But these emotions do not exist in games. Therefore, how can we make this apply it to real life?
World of War Craft
In World of War Craft, whenever you show up, there are lots of characters willing to trust you in a world saving mission. There are no unemployment problems, and always a mission waiting for you to complete. It creates a sense of being needed and required for something good to happen. It also create community and shows support when goals are achieved. Essentially, you are relied on and it makes the user feel good.
- Lots of people support you within the game, and work in collaboration with you
- Lots of positive feedback (level ups)
- It is satisfying to win - so the games become addicting and better than reality.
Therefore, a solution would be to make the real world more like a game?
- Are we using games to escape real-world suffering?
There are 50 million global game users, spending at least 10,000 hours playing online games by the age of 21. Young people are learning a lot about what it takes to be a good gamer, which is as much as they are learning things in school.
Games are a powerful platform to promote change
World saving games by Jane McGonigal - She has created games that have all the positive effects on the user such as motivation, positive feedback, collaboration etc. But the motive is based on real-life problems and teaches the user how to put these skills into something more relevant and realistic in a world-changing reality.
1. 'World Without Oil'
2. 'Global Extinction Awareness System'
3. 'Evoke'
These games that she has created all focus on real-life scenarios which society might one day face. The games have certain missions to be completed using realistic actions and are as similar to real life as possible. Therefore teaching people what to do if we are one day faced with this situation. Focusing on sustainability of our planet, and our wellbeing it means that these games are giving users these skills and encouraging them to use them in the real world, by eliminating (or blurring) the line between reality and virtuality.
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