Podcast Summary
Exploring the Transformative Power of Video Games: Renowned lidologist Dr. Jane McGonigal designs games to help people heal, cope, and become more resilient. Her work spans various gaming formats and she discusses the benefits and potential of games for personal growth and enjoyment.
Video games, as a form of play studied in the field of lidology, have a significant impact on our brains and lives. Dr. Jane McGonigal, a renowned lidologist, has dedicated her career to designing games that help people heal from illnesses, cope with anxiety and depression, and become more resilient. With a PhD from UC Berkeley and numerous accolades, including being named one of Oprah's 20 most inspiring women, Dr. McGonigal's work spans various aspects of gaming, from IRL games and board games to video games and virtual reality experiences. She discusses the line between play and addiction, the benefits of games like Fortnite and League of Legends, and the potential of games to change our lives for the better. Through her books, "Reality is Broken" and "SuperBetter," and her role as the director of game research and development at the Institute For the Future, Dr. McGonigal continues to explore the transformative power of games. Whether it's improving our cognitive abilities, fostering social connections, or helping us cope with challenges, the world of gaming offers endless possibilities for growth and enjoyment.
Board games vs video games: Impact on relationships: Board games may negatively impact relationships due to lower oxytocin levels and increased mistrust, while video games can foster creativity and learning.
Traditional board games, like Monopoly, can negatively impact relationships by lowering oxytocin levels and increasing mistrust. These games were often designed to make players feel bad, as in the case of Monopoly, which was created as a cautionary tale against capitalism. However, early experiences with video games and learning to design them led to positive memories and experiences for the speaker. Board games and video games serve different social functions, with board games potentially leading to negative interactions and video games offering opportunities for creativity and learning.
The audience is the art: Game design's most rewarding moment is observing players engage with creations, adding depth and meaning through unique interpretations and expressions.
The true magic of game design, or any form of art, lies in the interaction between the creator and the audience. For the game designer, the most gratifying moment is observing players engage with their creation for the first time. This interaction brings out a range of emotions and reactions, making the design process an ongoing experiment. The audience's unique interpretation and expression add depth and meaning to the artwork, making them an essential part of the art itself. As Jane, a game designer and PhD in performance studies, puts it, "the people are the art." Her fascination with this concept was sparked by a play she saw as a child, where the audience's reactions were the true focus of the performance. This idea of the audience as the essence of art continues to inspire Jane in her game design work, encouraging her to study the players and their experiences rather than just the games themselves.
From physical games to digital, shaped by diverse experiences: Experiences in physical games, live events, and online communities inspired a career in game design, leading to creating digital games that tackle real-world issues
The speaker's diverse experiences, from running large-scale recreational events to participating in online gaming communities, have shaped her career in game design. Her journey began with creating games in the physical world, then evolved to include live events with mobile technology, and eventually transitioned to digital games. A pivotal moment came after 9/11 when an online gaming community used their collective skills to try and understand the terrorist attacks, inspiring her to study the collaboration and problem-solving abilities of gamers. Ultimately, her goal is to create digital games that allow gamers to apply their skills to real-world problems.
Jane McGonigal's Collective Detective and Game Design: Jane McGonigal and her team shifted from investigating 9/11 to community mobilization, creating Collective Detective. They also designed games like Top Secret Dance Off, I Love Bees, and SuperBetter to positively impact people's lives.
The collective known as Jane McGonigal and her team started investigating 9/11, but their efforts soon shifted towards community mobilization, with a focus on organizing blood donations and volunteer work. Simultaneously, they delved into government corruption and cold cases, leading to the creation of Collective Detective. This group of individuals also inspired Jane to design games, with her most notable creation being Top Secret Dance Off. In this game, players created disguises in real life to dance without feeling self-conscious. The game gained popularity, with players exchanging positive feedback and encouragement, creating a supportive community. Despite its success, Jane eventually had to shut it down due to its overwhelming impact. Throughout her career, Jane has designed games with the intention of positively impacting people's lives, such as Top Secret Dance Off, Cruel to be Kind, I Love Bees, and The Lost Ring. Eventually, after suffering a concussion, Jane used her experiences to create SuperBetter, a game designed to help individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, and recuperation.
Jane McGonigal's personal experience with a concussion led her to discover the power of games in aiding recovery and coping with challenges.: Jane McGonigal used games as a tool to help her brain believe in good outcomes during her recovery from a concussion, demonstrating their potential as aids for coping with challenges.
Jane McGonigal's personal experience with a concussion led her to a deeper understanding of the power of games in helping people recover from challenges. This happened during her work on her first book about games and their ability to bring out the best in us and change the world. However, when she suffered a concussion, she was forced to stop her work and endure a long recovery process. During this time, she experienced severe depression due to the inability to imagine good things happening, which is a common response to brain injuries. McGonigal later learned that this was because the part of the brain responsible for anticipating good things was shut down to protect her during the healing process. Through her research on games and their impact on the brain, she discovered that she could use games as a tool to help her brain believe that good things could happen as a result of her own efforts and attention. This insight took her years to fully understand and apply after her injury. McGonigal's experience highlights the potential of games as a tool for recovery and coping with challenges.
The power of gaming to activate a positive mindset: Gaming can boost self-efficacy, enhance focus, and improve mood by activating the 'gameful mindset' in players.
Gaming activates the part of the brain that believes good things could happen, leading to increased energy, focus, and optimism. This is known as the "gameful mindset," and Jane McGonigal aims to bring it to various areas of life, including mental health issues like trauma, depression, and anxiety. Games can enhance self-efficacy, or the belief in one's ability to achieve goals, by challenging players and allowing them to improve their skills. However, it's important to remember that not everyone benefits from gaming, and it can be detrimental for those with a pathological relationship to it. The signature finding of gaming research is the impact on self-efficacy, which can lead to a more confident and capable mindset. Games are intentionally designed to be challenging, and the experience of overcoming difficulties can lead to creativity, practice, determination, and learning.
Improve real-life skills through gaming: Gaming can enhance frustration tolerance, optimism, and problem-solving skills. Maximize benefits by trying new games, communicating effectively, and reflecting on learned skills.
Playing games, whether it's Candy Crush or Call of Duty, can help improve various skills that can be applied to real life. These skills include frustration tolerance, optimism, and problem-solving. The benefits are most significant for those who view games as a part of reality rather than an escape. To maximize the benefits, it's essential to expose yourself to new games and interfaces, communicate effectively with teammates, and reflect on the skills you've developed while playing. Remember, even if a game seems challenging or frustrating at first, with time and effort, you can improve and bring those skills to real-life situations. So, next time you feel overwhelmed in a video game or in life, ask yourself, "What would I do if this were a game?" The answer might surprise you.
Gaming: Single-player vs Multiplayer: Single-player games can help manage anxiety and depression, while multiplayer games foster social connections and presence. Both have unique benefits for mental health.
Both single-player and multiplayer games offer unique benefits. Single-player games can help manage anxiety and depression by interrupting negative thought patterns, while multiplayer games foster strong social connections and a sense of presence. The addictive nature of gaming can be compared to gambling, but research suggests that the rewards from gaming are more complex and can even have positive effects on mental health. Ultimately, the choice between single-player and multiplayer games depends on individual needs and preferences. Single-player games can provide a much-needed escape from rumination, while multiplayer games offer opportunities for building strong relationships and experiencing a strong sense of presence. Whether online or in real life, friends and social support systems are increasingly interconnected, and gaming can play a significant role in strengthening these bonds.
Gambling vs Video Games: Different Purposes and Outcomes: While both activities can stimulate the brain's reward center, gambling's negative outcomes contrast with video games' potential for growth, skill development, and positive psychological experiences.
While there are similarities in the neurological experiences of gambling and video gaming, they serve fundamentally different purposes. Both activities can trigger the reward center of the brain, encouraging persistence through the promise of potential gains. However, the key difference lies in the outcomes. In gambling, the house is designed to win, creating a delusional and potentially harmful cycle of failure and financial loss. In contrast, video games are designed to promote growth, skill development, and relationship building, offering a more meaningful and positive psychological experience. It's essential to consider the application of game design and its impact on users, ensuring it leads to real growth and improvement in areas of life rather than manipulating behavior for insignificant or detrimental purposes. This week, a portion of the ad revenue from the Ologies podcast went to Able Gamers, an organization that makes gaming accessible to individuals with disabilities, enabling them to connect, improve their quality of life, and rehabilitate through the power of video games.
Using gamification to enhance life: Gamification can align with deeply held values, encourage desired behaviors, and provide an upward lift, but should not replace intrinsic motivation. Video games like Tetris can also help prevent PTSD flashbacks by diverting attention from traumatic memories.
Gamification, or the use of game design elements to encourage certain behaviors, can be a useful technique when it aligns with a person's deeply held values and helps them do more of what they want. However, it should not be used to gamify one's entire life. Instead, it can provide an upward lift and help individuals improve in areas that matter to them, after which the intrinsic motivation and reward system can take over. Additionally, playing video games like Tetris, which require intense visual attention, can prevent flashbacks associated with post-traumatic stress disorder by diverting the brain's resources from traumatic memories. Overall, the key is to use gamification and video games as tools to enhance our lives and improve our well-being, rather than relying on them as constant sources of motivation or distraction.
Video games as coping tools and research subject: Games like Tetris help cope with trauma by absorbing focus and reducing negative thoughts. Ludomusicology studies game music's history and composition. VR enhances gaming with new consent and privacy tech, and offers exciting eSports possibilities.
Tetris and other video games can serve as effective tools for coping with traumatic experiences. The game's ability to absorb focus and distract from negative thoughts has been observed to help reduce nightmares and flashbacks. Additionally, the field of Ludomusicology, the study of video game music, continues to grow with experts exploring its history and composition. As for the future of gaming, virtual reality (VR) is expected to make gaming a safer and more pleasant space by implementing new technologies for consent and privacy. VR also offers exciting possibilities for eSports with its blend of physical and virtual gameplay. Overall, video games continue to evolve and provide new ways to entertain, engage, and support mental health.
Engaging in children's video game experience: Playing, discussing, and reflecting on video games with kids validates skills, fosters creativity, and maintains balance. Ensure they game for less than 20 hours weekly to prevent negative impacts.
Involving yourself in your children's video game experience can have numerous benefits. Playing games with them, discussing their problem-solving processes, and reflecting on their learning experiences can help validate their skills and foster creativity. The key is to maintain a healthy balance, ensuring they don't exceed 20 hours of gaming per week to prevent potential negative impacts on school performance, social relationships, and physical health. If concerns arise about excessive gaming, gradually reducing the hours rather than an abrupt removal is recommended. As for the link between violent video games and real-life violence, research results are inconclusive. It's essential to remember that every child is unique, and open communication and involvement can help ensure a positive gaming experience.
Misconception of Violent Video Games and Real-Life Violence: Despite the common belief, decreasing crime rates and increasing video game engagement prove that most games do not cause real-life violence. Some games can even relieve stress and have therapeutic benefits.
There is a common misconception that playing violent video games leads to real-life violence. However, data shows that violent crime has been decreasing while engagement with violent themed games has been increasing. Don Doherty Affleck's husband, a lawyer, provides an example of how challenging games like Dark Souls can help relieve stress after a long day. Although some types of aggressive gameplay against anonymous opponents online can lead to increased aggression and less empathy, most video games do not cause harm and can even have therapeutic benefits. The stigma surrounding video games and violence is largely unfounded.
Reasons for enjoying video games and misrepresentation in media: People enjoy various aspects of video games, including social connections and quick feedback, while media often misrepresents the industry and its potential societal impact
People have different reasons for enjoying video games, and it's normal not to enjoy violent games or the culture surrounding them. Fortnite, for instance, is addicting for some due to its social aspects and the ease of trying again after failure. The game's rapidity and expressivity of avatars also contribute to an increased sense of presence and social being. From a game designer's perspective, the portrayal of video games in movies and TV, such as Law and Order franchises, often gets it wrong. As for specific video games, Ready Player One raised some skepticism due to its unrealistic assumptions about the future of VR technology and its potential impact on society.
The Future of Gaming is Augmented Reality: AR games like Pokemon Go indicate the future of gaming, offering a more engaging and immersive experience without isolating players from the real world.
While Virtual Reality (VR) has its applications, particularly in healthcare and reliving past experiences, the future of gaming is more likely to be in the form of Augmented Reality (AR). The success of Pokemon Go, which allowed users to engage with the real world while playing the game, provides a better indication of the direction gaming is heading. The most annoying aspect of gaming for Jane is the shame and stigma perpetuated by the media and anxious parents, which can negatively impact people's self-image. Her favorite aspect of gaming is the shared experience and discovery of new games with her husband.
Befriending and learning from others can lead to valuable insights and personal growth: Reach out to smart people for guidance and insights, even if it's remotely. Their perspectives can unlock new discoveries and inspire personal growth.
Seeking knowledge and asking for guidance from smart people, even if it means reaching out to them remotely, can lead to valuable insights and personal growth. Jane McGonigal, a game designer and author, emphasized the importance of befriending and learning from others, as they hold the keys to unlocking new perspectives and discoveries. McGonigal's book "SuperBetter" and her work in the field of gamification can inspire us to approach life with a gameful mindset and become more resilient. Additionally, her sister, psychologist Dr. Kelly McGonigal, studies how to make stress a positive experience. So, don't hesitate to ask smart questions and connect with others, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. You never know what valuable insights you might uncover.